Archive for 'Architectural Gems'

Palazzo Pfanner stands out in a Lucca, a largely medieval city, as a beautiful baroque palace and gardens. It was begun in 1660 for the Moriconi family, silk merchants and nobility from the town. However, they were then forced to sell the building in 1680 due to a sudden change in fortune and financial situation. The Controni family then moved in. Having recently acquired a noble title, they marked their own change of fortune by renovating and enlarging the building.

If you want to admire the extraordinary job that they did in transforming and perfecting the palace, why not find a luxury villa in Lucca and drop by?

There are certain things in Florence, as in every great city in the world, that are on almost all visitors' itineraries. When in Florence, most will want to see the Uffizi, David, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Piazza della Signoria and, perhaps, the Duomo, but if you are an art, architecture or history lover visiting the city, there's a hidden gem that you need to know about. Stretching from the Palazzo Pitti to the Uffizi is a long passageway, measuring almost a kilometre. Named the Vasari Corridor after the man who designed it, it is a lesser-known and less accessible attraction in the city. If you want the chance to be one of the few who gets to see it for yourself, find a luxury villa in Florence and drop by!

Poggio a Caiano is a comune in the province of Prato. In the town there is a very famous villa and museum which was once home to the Medici family. Built for Lorenzo the Magnificent, according to plans by Giuliano da Sangallo, it is situated between Florence, Prato and Pistoia. Begun at the end of the fifteenth century, it was not completed until halfway through the sixteenth. Today it is a garden, park, stately home and art museum which is open to the public for visits and between wandering the grounds, buildings and collections, it is an excellent day out with lots to do and see! If you want to visit this extraordinary site and its wonderful setting for yourself, why not find a luxury villa in the Florence area and pencil a trip into your itinerary?

Florence is well-known throughout the world as a centre for art and architecture, as well as being the birth-place of the Renaissance. During this period of “rebirth”, there was expanded and recovered knowledge of advances in art and architecture. The styles and genius of ancient Rome and Greece were appropriated and used in new ways with varying degrees of accuracy and loyalty. One of the staunchest supporters of the ancients was Alberti, an architect famous for his buildings and his treatise, “On Architecture”.

A wonderful example of his work is the Palazzo Rucellai Florence's historic centre. Find a villa with pool near Florence and you could visit it yourself this summer!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the world's most iconic structures and probably the most famous tower in existence. As it is one of the most visited attractions, this article aims to make your experience of it as smooth and as enjoyable as possible. To make your visit even more special, why not find a luxury villa nearby and make it a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

Begun in 1173, the Leaning Tower of Pisa took over 800 years to be completed. Originally, it was intended to act as the bell-tower of the cathedral located close by in the Piazza dei Miracoli, or Piazza del Duomo. However, the ambitious project for such an ornate structure soon presented problems.