Italy travel | Travel Thru History

A Photographic Stroll Through History: Siena’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

by Ron Ellege

What do some of Italy’s finest artists of the day, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Pinturicchio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Bernini, have in common? They all contributed to one of the finest displays of Gothic architecture in Italy. Siena’s Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is filled with treasures by Pisano, Donatello and Michelangelo, as well as frescoes by Pinturicchio.

The Beginning

Begun in 1229, and the dome completed in 1264, Siena’s Cathedral is a spectacular edifice inside and out. With a vision of hosting the largest cathedral in Europe, the existing structure was to become the transept of a new cathedral more than 100 meters long. Tragically, their dream of an imposing cathedral died in 1348 when, within a few months, 60 percent of Siena’s inhabitants were struck down by the Black Plague.

The remnants of the outer walls remain today and bring perspective to the vision they had undertaken.

The west facade was begun in 1285 under the watchful eye of Giovanni Pisano. In 1296 Pisano hastily left the city over a creative dispute with the governing council and his work was completed 100 years later by Giovanni di Cecco.

In the 19th century, the Cathedral was extensively restored and the golden mosaics in the upper gables were made by Venetian artists in the late 1870’s. The large central mosaic, the Coronation of the Virgin, is the work of Luigi Mussini. The Nativity of Jesus and Presentation of Mary in the Temple, were made by Alessandro Franchi. The large rose window is surrounded by busts of 36 patriarchs and a statue of the Madonna and Child.

Inside The Cathedral

Prepare to be amazed as the Wow Factor will captivate your senses the moment you enter the doors of this historic Gothic Cathedral. The black and white marble stripes on the walls and columns immediately captivate the eye. Black and white is seen throughout Siena and are the city’s symbolic colors.

Stop at the visitor’s desk directly across from the entrance where you can pick up an audio tour which will take you on an informational journey through the highlights of the Cathedral.

While standing in the short line for your tour radio, glance up at the cornice that runs the length of the nave. It is decorated with busts of popes fashioned in the workshop of Giovanni di Stefano who began his work in 1495. Below are 36 busts of Roman and Byzantine emperors from Constantine to Theodosiu.

Located over the main doors in the west façade is one of two rose windows not to be missed. This beautiful oculus depicts the Last Supper and was created by Pastorino de’ Pastorini in 1549.

The Central Nave

Venturing into the Cathedral we observe the central nave.

Here we view the high altar flanked by columns topped by our first glimpse of the hexagonal dome which is topped with Bernini’s gilded lantern.

Under the dome are gold-plated stucco statues of Patron Saints of Siena sculpted by Ventura di Giuliano and Bastiano di Francesco in 1490.

The Duccio Oculus, the round stained-glass window over the apse is one of the earliest existing examples of Italian stained glass.

It depicts the assumption, burial and coronation of the Virgin Mary and was crafted by Duccio di Buoninsegna in 1288.

The Floors

As you stroll through this art filled Cathedral with astonishing sculptures, frescos, and relics on display in every quadrant, pay close attention to the floors. This composite of marble inlays which were crafted over six centuries (from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century), are covered for protection during much of the year. Plan on arriving between mid-August and late October if you wish to view them.

Of all the mosaic marble panels, I have two favorites. The large panel in the transept “The Slaughter of the Innocents”.

This is thought to be the work of Matteo di Giovanni in 1481. It is the only story coming from a Gospel, Matthew 2:13-23, all the other illustrations are based on the Old Testament and classical sources.

The earliest floor panel in the Cathedral is the Wheel of Fortune and the Sienese Wolf.

This panel, located close to the entrance, dates to sometime between 1369 and 1373.

Self-Portraits

Above the entrance to the Piccolomini Library is this fresco of the papal coronation of Pius III by Bernardino di Betto (Pinturicchio).

I love this fresco as it captures the nature of many of the artists of the time. Pinturicchio, as he often did during this period in his career, included a portrait of himself. Pinturicchio is standing facing us, he is the one in front of the crowd on your right while viewing this fresco.

Another self-portrait is an addition by Michelangelo to the Piccolomini Altarpiece.

This complex altarpiece was commissioned by cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini and built between 1481 and 1485 by Andrea Bregno. However, its prominence is more for the four sculptures in the lower niches. Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Gregory, and Saint Pius were sculpted by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. The statue of St. Paul is a self-portrait of the young Michelangelo.

The Last Glimpse

As you proceed from the cathedral, south toward Piazza del Campo, be sure to look back for a view of the dome and bell tower through the arch in the south wall of Duomo Nuovo.

The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was later added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

If You Go:

You can drive, but it may not be the best choice.

By Car:

Siena is one of Italy’s prominent hilltop-towns and is located a mere 76 kilometers south of the beautiful city of Florence. The drive takes only 45 minutes via the Autostrada, however, once you arrive in Siena you will find that you cannot enter the old town unless you are booked in a local hotel. Parking is difficult to find and will often be located beyond any reasonable walking distance.

Our favorite car rental in much of Europe and the world. www.rentalcars.com.

Train or bus may be your best option if you are not taking one of the many tours offered in Florence.

Our favorite tour company is Walks of Italy.

By Train:

Siena is about 90 minutes by train, and they are scheduled frequently throughout the day. The train station is located close to Siena’s many tourist attractions and is about one-and-a-half kilometers from the Cathedral.

When traveling by rail I have two sites I check with: Trainline and Vacations By Rail.

The SITA Bus provides numerous links from the city of Florence to Chianti, and is the best way to get easily to Siena. Using the Rapide (express) Bus it will take about an hour from Florence, and you gain the added advantage of being taken to the historic center of town, close to the Cathedral.

Be Aware:

As is the case in all of Italy, to enter a place of worship you must dress accordingly (women’s shoulders should be covered, shorts are not appropriate, and men must wear shirts). Food and drink is not allowed in the Cathedral so take advantage of one of the many cafes and restaurants located a few steps away.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend weekday and Sunday masses, but no sightseeing is permitted during these events.

Cost and Hours:

Tickets are €6 per person while the marble pavement is uncovered, usually from mid-August to late October. The rest of the year, entrance is €3 per person.

Siena Cathedral (Santa Maria Assunta, or Most Holy Mary of the Assumption) is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

About the author:
Ron Elledge is a Freelance Photographer/Writer who splits his time between Phoenix, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico when not on a photo shoot or world adventure. Ron’s photography can be viewed at www.RonElledgePhotography.com. His love of travel is shared by his wife, Shelli, with whom he travels the globe and together they document their journeys.

All photos by Ron Elledge

Italy: The Venice-Munich Road

A Journey From Bavaria To Venice

by Kanykei Tursunbaeva

Venice has been a tremendous attraction and mystery for innumerable adventurers and scientists fascinated by elegance and nonconformity of Venetian way of life. The architecture and even geographic location (just imagine living your life on a ship, which constantly sways on water, that’s the way it is in Venice!) make it a compelling destination.

An expeditionary group, under the guidance of Malzev Oleg, held its first journey to Venice in 2015. There was filming all around, looking into every scrap of architecture along the way. We drove from Munich to Venice. On the road, all the way to Venice there are castles which are built from as fortifications.

The castles are fascinating. It is not possible to build fortifications as such with our modern technologies. The first conclusion made by Malzev Oleg is that technologies of 18th century were much more advanced than what we have now. Besides, it is a known fact that Bavaria has very fertile ground, all the way from Venice to Munich through Italy. Austria was a perfect place to build one- it was fully protected, and approximately every 1.5 kilometers there is a castle with few number of people. It should be pointed out, that we are not talking about one or two castles. The six hour long road has many fortification systems.

It was hard to rob or occupy them, as from both sides there are massive mountain chains and a fortification system. Supposedly, if one decided to attack those villages he would be trapped in the middle of several fortification castles. One who has resided on Bavarian land knows that crime is quite low there. One of the main reasons is that there is nowhere to run – it is a closed place, so running away to mountains is not an option. Besides, people in Bavaria have distinctive characteristics from other parts of Germany; Bavarians love hunting and almost all men carry guns with the. They do care about safety on their territory. Correspondingly, there are very few cases when someone tries trespass.

Finally we arrive at Venice. The First thing that catches our attention is that you do not use car there. We parked car and took a private boat which brought us to San Marco Central square. Speaking of architecture, interestingly, the paramount symbol of Venice which you see everywhere is a lion with angel wings. Taken into account that the symbol of Bavaria is also a lion but without wings, means that there is a somewhat historic connection between these two places.

The second thing which catches the eye, is that there are very few crosses over cathedrals in Venice. Instead, there are figures of people, animals – the same distinctive feature of cathedrals we observed in Bavaria. We may assume that the architects of Bavaria and Venice were the same persons.

As a result of this expedition to Venice, a Venetian mask system was deciphered by Malzev Oleg. Sixteen Venetian masks are used at the Venetian carnivals, a practical system which could be used in everyday life (eight horizontal masks and eight vertical ones).

If You Go:

The Jewish ghetto is a must place to visit. Some sources say that it was a “hot spot” of prominent doctors, philosophers, lawyers of this times. Hundreds of books were burned as Jews were persecuted. Now there are five synagogues that can be visited with a guide. And for sure, don’t forget to get some shots of the lion with a book, symbol of Venice.

Jewish Ghetto And Cannareggio: Private Tour Of Venice – $56.83
from: Viator

About the author:
Traveling compels Kanykei a lot, moreover it means so much for her to see ancient architecture, to look into the culture of different regions of countries. As an assistant of scientist Maltsev Oleg she grasps that there is so much more behind architecture than what we see.

All photos by Oleg Maltsev

Italy: One Night In Rome

by Anne Harrison

By the time we left the hotel, it was already late afternoon, and our plane left at dawn. The buildings shimmered with a golden glow particular to Italian cities of stone and marble.

After fortifying ourselves with an espresso, we strolled to the stylish Via Veneto. Lively and fashionable back when Rome was ruled by the Caesars, just on a century ago this ancient quarter consisted of terraced gardens and vineyards. Then the Prince of Piombino sold part of his country estate to develop a luxurious neighbourhood of piazzas and palazzos. (The design proved so successful the Prince could no longer afford to live here.)

The Via Veneto opens onto the Piazza Barbarini. Here stand two of Bernini’s fountains; his first -The Triton – and The Fountain of the Bees. He designed the latter around the Barbarini’s family emblem, in deference to his patron, Pope Urban VIII.

From here, narrow streets wind to the top of the Spanish Steps.(On the Via Sistine is the convent Nostra Signora di Lourdes, one of the many throughout Italy to take paying guests.) At the top stands the Trinita De Monti, a twin-towered Gothic church built in 1495 by Charles VIII of France. As we arrived a bride and groom left to the accompaniment of peeling bells. The church contains two works by Daniele da Volterra, a pupil of Michelangelo, (who was later ordered by Pope Pius IV to paint clothes over the nude figures of the Sistine Chapel).

Immortalized by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, the Spanish Steps offer an unforgettable view across the roofline of Rome. Bronze domes glimmered under the setting sun; Keats looked onto them as he lay dying in a house in the Piazza di Spagna below.

At the bottom of the stairs is an unusual fountain, La Barcaccia. Designed by Bernini’s father, it resembles a leaking ship. Tradition holds he chose such a shape after the flooding of the Tiber on Christmas Day in 1958, which left a boat in the piazza. Pieces of travertine at either end of the fountain serve as stepping stones for anyone wishing to use the water; La Barcaccia is one of the many drinking fountains scattered across Rome.

The evening promenade filled the piazza, spilling into the Via Condotti with its lining of expensive boutiques. Yet despite the crowds, the nearby Via Margutta remained relatively empty. This street belongs to artists, and connoisseurs of art. A few small shops, unchanged in appearance for hundreds of years, simply but elegantly display a single old print or painting in their window.

After tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain, our path wended towards the Tiber. Near the Ponte Cavour is one of the most significant monuments of Ancient Rome. Commissioned by the Senate in 13BC, the Ara Pacis Augustae (Altar of Augustus’ Peace) it is a three-dimensional record of 4th July, 43BC, when Augustus was given a hero’s parade after his victorious campaigns in Gaul and Spain. The Emperor can be seen leading the procession with his family and friends, with the next emperor, Tiberius, beside him.

Preserved under glass, this work is so exquisite some believe it executed by Greek artists. Drenched in spotlights, at night the Ara Pacis Augustae is more than a ghost of days long gone; it’s a dramatic reminder of the power and cultural achievements of Imperial Rome.

We crossed the Tiber on the Ponte Sant’ Angelo. Closed to traffic, this bridge is a quiet place to gaze over the city and river. Built by Hadrian in 134 AD, it connects the city to his future tomb, the Castel Sant’ Angelo. In the 17th century, Bernini adorned the bridge with ten ethereal angels who stand in a perpetual gale, their draperies tossed by a stone tempest.

The Leonine Wall runs along back streets from the Castel Sant Angelo to the Vatican, behind shops selling rosary beads and cardinals’ socks. These streets are often empty, as most tourist approach St Peter’s along the grand Via della Conciliazione. Like Florence’s Vasari Corridor, the Leonine Wall houses a secret passage which connects the Vatican to the Castel. More than one pontiff has beaten a hasty retreat along this ‘passageway of popes’.

By moonlight, St Peter’s Square has a magic magnified by the stillness. Even the pigeons have gone. Bernini likened the marble colonnade stretching around the square to the embracing arms of the mother church. The Basilica was closed, watched over by Swiss Guards in their colourful uniforms and long capes. Yet in a nearby building an open bronze door offered a glimpse of endless corridors, with a few officials strutting importantly past.

We crossed back over the Tiber near the Isola Tiberina. This boat-shaped island has been associated with healing for over 2000 years, having been dedicated to Aesculapius in 293BC. The islands hospital, run by The Brother’s of John of God, still administer to the needs of ill Romans.

Walking along the dimly lit Via del Gonfalone, the sound of clinking cutlery led us to an unmarked door. Inside, a fire blazed, and metre-thick walls of medieval brick supported a roof of exposed timber beams. A charming waiter deciphered the menu for us, stopping only at veal castrata. Perhaps it was the magic of the night which made this one of the best meals we had in Italy: Tuscan wine, antipasto, fresh bread, minestrone, veal staccota and lemon cakes.

Our route home took us past the only perfectly preserved ancient building in Rome. The Pantheon, in the Piazza della Rotonda, was designed by the Emperor Hadrian in 125AD. Hadrian made the unique design of a Roman dome on a circular base, in the form of a Greek temple, all in perfect proportion and symmetry. The dome is higher than St Peter’s, and its consecration in 609AD prevented the plundering which destroyed so much of Ancient Rome following the Empire’s protracted fall.

Next time I will return during a thunderstorm, when the rain splatters through the roof’s circular opening onto the marble floor, and lightening illuminates the tomb of Raphael.

The Piazza di Sant’ Eustachio is reached from the Pantheon via the narrow Via Palobella. This small piazza was filled with locals making a detour on the way home for Rome’s best coffee. The tiny Sant’ Eustachio Cafe was filled to overflowing, with people spilling out into the piazza with their coffees. By this time of night the coffee was served heavily laced with aniseed, giving it an almost mystical quality.

It may border on sacrilegious to spend only one night in Rome, but a traveler adapts to what is available. We’d touched on the spirit of the city, and there is always next time. There has to be, else we could never leave.

Browse Rome Tours Now Available

If You Go:

Ever considered staying in a convent or monastery? There are numerous websites to help, such as: www.bookingmonastery.com or http://www.monasterystays.com.

The official Rome Tourism Website

For ideas on what’s on in Rome

About the author:
Anne Harrison lives with her husband, two children and numerous pets in regional Australia. She discovered travel at the age of ten, then the world of history and philosophy. Her jobs include wife, mother, doctor, farmer, cheese-maker and local witch doctor, and her ambition is to be 80 and happy. Read more at anneharrison.com.au and http://hubpages.com/@anneharrison.

All photos by Anne Harrison
A view towards St Peter’s from the Tiber
The ever popular Spanish Steps
A detail of the Trevi Fountain
The Castel Sant Angelo
Raphael’s tomb, the Pantheon

Venice: Even Gondolas Need Some Love

by Ann Harrison

Well, my window
looked out on the Square where Ogni Santi
meets San Trovaso
things have ends and beginnings
-Ezra Pound Cantos

When Ezra Pound arrived in Venice, he took rooms near a walled garden on the Rio San Trovaso, opposite a squero (or gondola building yard). Only a few squeri now remain in Venice, although at the height of her powers some ten thousand gondolas served the city. The gondoliers’ knowledge of the canals is legendary, and legend holds they are born with webbed feet, to help them walk on water.

I crossed the Grand Canal into the area of Venice called the Dorsoduro by the Ponte dell’Accademia. Because of its charm, this wooden bridge remains despite being built as a temporary measure in 1932. It leads to the Accademia, a set of galleries housing the world’s finest collection of Venetian art. As I walked bells chimed the hour from a handful of churches, each sounding a few minutes apart (for churches all over Italy run to their own time).

It took but a few minute to leaves the noise and bustle behind, for I’d entered a maze of alleyways and pretty piazzas where cafes spill onto the streets and picturesque residences stand dotted along the quiet canals. Small shops burst with flowers and vegetable seedlings, supplying courtyards and gardens hidden from view of the passerby. At the top of the Ponte dei Pugni – a small bridge spanning the Rio San Barnaba – are two sets of footprints, marking the starting positions for traditional fist fights. (Ultimately, these became so violent they were banned in 1705.) The Fondamenta Gherardini, which runs beside the Rio San Barnaba, is claimed by many to be the prettiest canal in Venice.

Built in the 17th century, the Squero di San Trovaso is the oldest of the remaining squeri in Venice. It sits beside a small canal, the Rio San Trovaso, allowing easy access for the gondolas. Although closed to the public, as the canal is only a few meters wide all the activity can be easily seen from the far side. On the day I passed some half-dozen gondolas rested upside down in the outside square in various stages of repair. A few were being covered with black lacquer; seven coats are needed to give the boats their famous gloss. Inside the shed another was being built. (Less than a dozen new gondolas are made annually, each taking up to six months to complete.)

Unusual for Venice, the boat-house and adjoining buildings are made of wood, and adorned with geraniums. They are Tyrolean in style, for most squeraroli, (the artisans who work on the gondolas), originally came from this area in the Dolomites, where the best boat-building wood is still to be found. Nine types of wood are used (elm, fir, walnut, oak, mahogany, larch, lime cherry and beech) and in constructing a gondola the squeraroli use some 280 separate pieces, with much of the work still done by hand.

The first record of a gondola is in 1094, when Doge Vito Falier issued a charter allowing Venetian citizens to build their own gondolas. The word is possibly derived from the Latin ‘cuncula’ (shell) or cymbula (little boat). Gondolas appear in paintings of the late 15th and early 16th centuries, in works by Bellini, Carpaccio and Mansueti. Although the design has changed since it first appeared, the manner of steering the gondola is the same: the gondolier faces the bow and propels the boat with a forward stoke, followed by a compensating backward stroke. Originally, some gondolas had two oarsmen; one at the front and one at the stern, and occasionally this method is employed in the backwaters of Venice, as a novice is taught his craft.

The oars, (made of beech), complete with a ribbed blade for greater control, are built by the remeri, (which is derived from the Italian remo, or oar), and are held in place by a rowlock, or focole. The focole’s complicated design allows for up to eight different positions of the oar, depending upon speed and direction the gondolier requires. (Regardless of speed, the gondoliers continue their songs and banter amongst themselves and all they pass.) Unlike a punt, the gondola is never poled, for most of the canals are too deep.

The only metal used in the construction is the risso of the stern and the ferro at the head of the gondola, which counter-balances the gondolier’s weight. It is made from six metal strips, called pettini, representing the six sestieri (or sections) of Venice. Another strip shaped in the form of a double S represents the Grand Canal, with a doge’s cap at its top, and a lunette representing the Rialto Bridge inscribed below. The only other decoration on the gondola is a brass hippocampus (or sea horse), which adorns either side.

Gondolas were originally made watertight by coatings of black pitch. During the 1500’s, owners decorated their gondolas with fancy ironwork, bright carpets and rich colours. An increasing number boasted a felze; a small cabin complete with louvered windows, allowing privacy for passengers, and protection from the elements. (These remained common until the early 20th century, when tourist demand for better views led to their removal.) Sumptuary laws passed in 1562, however, decreed all gondolas to be black to prevent ostentatious displays of wealth.

Around this time the stability of the gondola improved with the development of a wider base, and there are even reports of the boats being used in battle in the Adriatic Sea. When bridges were built over the Venetian canals, they were designed to allow a standing gondolier to pass under their arch. The only other change occurred around the end of the 19th century, when the design became asymmetrical. The left side of the gondola is now 24cm longer than the right, (the gondolier stands on the left, with the oar on the right) to correct the tendency of the gondola to turn to the left which each forward stroke.

From the Squero San Trovaso it is a short walk to the Zattere, a long quayside which looks across the Venetian lagoon to the island of Giudecca. The breeze carries the smell of the sea, the call of gulls fills the air, and once more tourists are everywhere. Outside the Santa Maria della Visitazione there is a bocca di leone, a letterbox where anonymous denunciations were once made to The Great Council.

As I sat sipping a glass of prosecco, I could see all manner of craft plying the waters of Venice, from vegetable barges to garbage trucks and even ambulances. Enormous ocean liners often pass through the lagoon, their wash flooding into the canals. Yet gondolas and their striped-shirted gondoliers remain part of the city’s mythology, having been part of Venetian life for over one thousand years.

Private Venice Gondola Ride

If You Go:

Official website of the City of Venice
A useful guide to museums, galleries, hotels etc.
For those who are interested in a convent stay
Vaporetti (water buses) are the public transport of Venice. Vaporetto no.1 travels the length of the Grand Canal, offering spectacular view of this city.

About the author:
Anne Harrison lives with her husband, two children and numerous pets on the Central Coast, NSW. Her jobs include wife, mother, doctor, farmer and local witch doctor – covering anything from delivering alpacas to treating kids who have fallen head first into the washing machine. Her fiction has been published in Australian literary magazines, and has been placed in regional literary competitions. Her non-fiction has been published in medical and travel journals. Her ambition is to be 80 and happy. Her writings are available at anneharrison.com.au and anneharrison.hubpages.com

All photos are by Anne Harrison

Cruising the Historic Mediterranean

Spain, Italy & Greece

by Matthew Adams

The Mediterranean has a variety of intriguing historic destinations in Spain, Italy and Greece. One way you can visit some of those fascinating historical sites is via a cruise. Cruise ships usually stop at ports in Italy, Spain, France and Greece from which you visit some of the world’s greatest museums and historical architecture. This is a Crown Princess cruise I did to see some of the finest historic destinations.

Barcelona

Barcelona, in Catalonia, was the first stopping port. This is a historically significant city in its own right that includes some astonishing architecture. Its most notable architectural landmark is the Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi, that includes eight spires which will increase to 18 when construction of the church is complete.

I never went in the Sagrada Familia on my trip, but instead went to the Montserrat Monastery. This is a Benedictine abbey at the summit of the Montserrat mountain. As the mountain rises about 1,200 meters, it’s worth a trip just for the magnificent views alone. There you can also hike the Montserrat nature park that includes numerous hiking trails.

Pisa and Florence

On another stop I visited Pisa with a coach excursion. There I visited the Cathedral Square, a UNESCO heritage site, that is one of the greatest architectural complexes in Europe. That is largely due to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is a 183 foot tower with a slight lean of about four degrees. I briefly went in the Duomo cathedral, a masterpiece of Romesque architecture, before returning to the coach. However, the tour gave me little more than 30 minutes in Pisa.

Florence was the next stop on the tour. The historical significance of Florence lies in the Renaissance era, otherwise a cultural rebirth, that inspired a new breed of art and architecture in the city. So it’s not surprising that the Historic Center of Florence is another UNESCO heritage site.

I got a little more time in Florence than Pisa. So I went inside Florence Cathedral that is an effective blend of Italian Gothic, Renaissance and Gothic Revival architecture. The most striking aspect of this cathedral is its huge dome, which is the largest masonry dome ever constructed. I also visited the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the River Arno, which is another of Florence’s landmarks. The bridge retains some of its towers originally built as defensive structures.

Rome

As the capital of an empire that once dominated Europe, Rome has obvious historical significance. The city has preserved some of the finest buildings from the former empire. I took some snapshots of the Colosseum on my trip. I also went to the Pantheon, a remarkably preserved temple that has intriguing architecture. The temple has a coffered concrete dome with an oculus, or central opening, at its summit through which sunlight beams through. With that the Pantheon might have effectively been one giant sundial.

The next stop for the coach was the Vatican. The Vatican has been a separate city-state since fascist Italy established the Lateran Treaty. The Vatican Museums are among the largest in the world, and they include some of the most priceless Renaissance art. The museums showcase a multitude of sculptures, paintings, stone tablets and archeological relics dug up from excavations. Furthermore, visitors can also check out the St. Peter’s Basilica church at St Peter’s Square that also has fabulous Renaissance architecture.

I had a ticket specifically for the Sistine Chapel. That is another masterpiece of Renaissance art with its finely painted ceiling and numerous frescoes that decorate the interior. Finding the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums is not easy, and you can get lost within the maze of corridors. A day at the Vatican would never be enough to effectively explore the immense museum collections. Nevertheless, I eventually found the chapel that was something to behold.

Gibraltar

Finally, the Crown Princess stopped at Gibraltar. This U.K. overseas territory is most notable for the Rock of Gibraltar, which is a limestone rock that rises about 1,398 feet. As the gateway to the Mediterranean, Gibraltar was a strategically vital outpost of the British Empire. Consequently, the British army dug a series of tunnels through the rock where it could store armaments and munitions. The tunnels also protected troops from coastal and aerial bombardments. Britain dug the most extensive Gibraltar tunnels during the 1940s that were expansive enough to accommodate a garrison of 16,000 troops.

I made the trip up the rock for the terrific Mediterranean views. I also entered the entrance of the tunnels of Gibraltar, which are otherwise the Great Siege Tunnels. In addition, I stopped at St. Michael’s Cave, which is a network of limestone caves. There I went inside the Cathedral Cave that includes an auditorium for concerts and drama productions.

Thereafter, I returned to Blighty. What better way to ‘travel through history’ than a European cruise? You can visit many of Europe’s finest historic venues in Italy, Spain or Greece with coach excursions from cruise ports. The only disadvantage is that some coach trips might only give you a very limited time period at a destination.

If You Go:

Pantheon
Vatican Museums
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Great Siege Tunnels
St. Michael’s Cave
Montserrat

Pisa and Florence Private Day Trip from Livorno

About the author:
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine, TripAdvisor, Naval History, Artilleryman, dotTech, Bright Hub, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew is also the author of Battles of the Pacific War 1941 – 1945. Check out the book’s blog at battlesofthepacificwar.blogspot.co.uk.

All photos are by Matthew Adams:
The Benedictine abbey at Montserrat
The Duomo and Leaning Tower of Pisa at Pisa
The Pantheon in Rome
A snapshot of the Rock of Gibraltar at Gibraltar