Archive for 'Churches & Religious Buildings'

The Volto Santo or ‘Holy Face’ of Lucca is a famous wooden crucifix that is housed in the cathedral of San Martino in Lucca city. The Volto Santo is housed in a beautifully built Carrara marble chapel which was designed by Matthew Civitali.

Stay in a pretty vacation rental in Lucca and explore all that this spectacular city and its surrounding area has to offer in terms of culture and beauty.

There’s an interesting legend tied to the beautiful craftsmanship of this crucifix, specifically the carved face of Jesus as the name suggests, ‘Volto Santo’.

It’s said that the crucifix was carved by a man called Nicodemus who was mentioned in the Gospel of Joseph after Christ ascended from the dead.

If you are an appreciator of great beauty and architecture then a visit to the spectacular cathedral in Lucca would be a wonderful sight to behold! The building of the San Martino cathedral began in 1063.

Ornate additions were made over the next few hundred years which turned Lucca cathedral into one of the most beautiful religious buildings in all of Tuscany.

Choose from a lovely range of villas in Lucca to relax in after several days of exploring all the treasures this city and province have to offer!

The tomb of Ilaria del Carretto lies within the duomo which was sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia and the painting titled Madonna and Child with Saints Peter, Clement, Paul and Sebastian by Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Gaze upon the beautifully sculpted wooden crucifix called the ‘Volto Santo’ which is housed within an orthogonally shaped marble chapel within the duomo.

In 1278 construction began on what was to become the majestic monumental cemetery in Pisa beside Piazza dei Miracoli. Designed by Giovanni di Simone, this fascinating space is home to a large collection of Roman tombs and beautiful 15th century frescoes.

These mesmerising images, many depicting themes of life and death were painted by Taddeo Gaddi, Benozzo Gozzoli and Andrea Bonaiuti to name but a few.

Despite that many of them were exposed to a lot of damage during World War II, they have been carefully restored and are up on display for the public to enjoy once more.

Go on a delightful day trip to Elba Island from Livorno some day and visit five incredibly beautiful churches here. Why not hire some bikes or hike to these historical gems so you can fully appreciate the sheer beauty of Elba, the largest island in the Tuscan archipelago.

Stay in a stunning holiday villa on Elba Island where you can easily explore all this picturesque place has to offer!

Begin your tour with the well preserved Chiesa di San Giovanni in Campo, overlooking the towns of Sant‘Ilario and San Piero in Campo.

The Duomo of Pisa stands proudly in Piazza dei Miracoli, a magnificent architectural masterpiece! Founded in 1064, this huge building of intricately carved stone and marble didn’t reach completion until near the end of the 12th century. A devastating fire in 1595 destroyed a large section of it but the faithful people of Pisa quickly sought to redesign their beloved cathedral to return to its former glory.

Stay in a lovely luxury holiday villa around Pisa where you can travel into the city and see all the attractions it has to offer.