Rome Travel Palace

Citizens of Milan continue to demand a plan for improving several areas of the historical Navigli that have been long forgotten by the authorities and irresponsibly contaminated by the local population. A lot of these zones have become real dumpsters plagued of ship to shore crane that are really far from the romantic open canals of the city centre and the charming touristic market of Senigallia in Darsena.

Milano could take some hints from the Dutch city of Amsterdam that has made its canals famous around the world. Aside from the fact that the urban planning project on which is based the creation of Amsterdam’s canals, the “Venice of the North” has developed a maintenance and cleaning programme that keeps the waters and nearby streets free from the inconveniences that instead affect the Italian city.

Amsterdam’s canals are way more used than the ones on Milan and yet manage to be in far better hygienic conditions. Inhabitants of the Dutch capital use the canals every day to commute and go around the city with ship to shore buses that run as often as any other European capital’s public transports. Moreover, the canals are scenario of events and parties, and are also the everyday residence of many people who live in houseboats. In addition, a ship unloader is used by many shops to transport and distribute goods. Through the implementation of a cleaning plan that consists in emptying the canals three times a week in order to let the Northern Sea flow in, the waters manage to stay in better conditions than the ones in Milan’s Navigli.

It is necessary to undertake requalification and recuperation programmes for the degraded zones, to reactivate the water screening system and to support touristic initiatives that depend on the good state of the Navigli, like the one introduced in 2006 that offered visiting routes sailing through the Navigli.

The Abbey of Monte Cassino, in the province of Frosinone (region Latium), is certainly a very interesting place from an historic, artistic, cultural and spiritual point of view.

Visiting the Abbey of Monte Cassino means making a full immersion in history (the Abbey, indeed, is sadly known also for the battle of Montecassino) in culture, art and spirituality.

Let’s begin with spirituality: the abbey is still inhabited by Benedictine monks, which are still observing the “ora et labora” rule, and it is visited by many pilgrims that are looking for a contact with their spiritual self.

But the Abbey is not only a religious centre, it is also an important historical centre, telling us a lot about the war before the Germany collapse, as well as an artistic and cultural centre. Visiting Monte Cassino means visiting the Cathedral and the Benefactors’, Bramante’s and Entrance cloisters, the museum and the library. The cathedral was rebuilt after the bombing, but it was not possible to save the frescos and the paintings that were inside (but they have been replaced by other works). The Benefactors’ cloister, dating back to 1513, hosts the statues of some benefactors, including popes and kings, while Bramante’s cloister dates back to 1595. In the Entrance cloister you can find the oratory for the community prayer where St Benedict died. Also the library and the archive of Monte Cassino are notably interesting, especially to look into incunabula and writings in Italian vernacular. In addition to 70,000 books, 198 incunabula, 1,500 codes, periodicals, parchments and books from the 16th century, the library also contains a precious document dating back to 960, the Placito Cassinese, which includes the first sentence in Italian vernacular.

From the point of view of history, Monte Cassino is sadly known for the four battles of Monte Cassino, which took place during the second World War, from January to May 1944, destroying the Abbey and causing many deaths. Visiting the Abbey and the museum dedicated to these events, you will have the chance to look into this sad but important chapter of our history, a chapter including Wars, Lagers, Hitler, Mussolini and totalitarianism.

Cassino is the home of this most famous abbey that in 2009 was visited by Pope Benedict XVI and that is located in the southern end of the Italian region of Lazio, close to Rome.

The abbey that was founded in 529 by Saint Benedict of Norcia, has been since known not only by its touristic appeal that every year attracts many visitors to cassino italy, or by guarding the mortal remains of St. Benedict and his sister Scolastica beneath its High Altar, but also for its history of dammed destructions and attacks suffered throughout the centuries.

The Abbey was first built in a mount of difficult access, a choice probably influenced by a patrician of the area, right above an ancient Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter and Apollo. Its strategic location has been the reason why this splendorous Basilica has been attacked in so many occasions.

In 581, just after 52 years of its construction the monastery was destroyed by the invasion of the Lombards and forced its monks to escape with the remains of St Benedict to Rome. Rebuilt in 717, Saracens attacked the churched again. It wouldn’t be until 949 that under the orders of pope Agapito II the abbey was rebuilt. The monks enjoyed a period of peace in which the abbey became a centre for study, art and discussion until 1349 when an earthquake gravely damaged its structure. In 1944, during the famous Battle of Monte Cassino between the Allies and the German and Italian forces, the church was bombarded for it was suspected to harbor German soldiers.

Today the tourists staying at hotel gaeta italy can admire the three bronze doors of the church as well as the paint “The Glory of St Benedict” and the 120 square meters of the Bramante cloister with Corinthian columns; and enjoy the typical lamb dishes a at any of the restaurant cassino has all over the historical center of the town.

Traveling to Rome once or twice in your life is not enough to see the entire city. Therefore, it is advisable either to visit only the monuments of your interest or to limit your tour to a particular section of the city.

In Rome there are so many places worth of a visit that, apart from the most renowned landmarks, the most of them are ignored by tourists. If you wish to see them all, then, first of all you’d better prepare yourself to come back more than once and to plan an accurate itinerary for your stay. To save time and money, we suggest that you rent some kind of budget accommodation in Rome, in the city centre: you will be able to experience Roman lifestyle and culture, immerging yourself in its ancient and magic atmosphere. For example, once there you might decide to visit all of its squares.

There is a great deal of squares in the Eternal City and usually apartment rental Rome agencies are located not far from them. As in other cities, they are places full of colours and life: in fact, squares are meeting and reference points for locals, where markets and all sorts of events take place. Therefore, an original itinerary should include the most famous squares, such as Piazza Navona and its Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (the Danube, Nile, Ganges and Plate, symbols of the four corners of Earth), Piazza di Spagna and its world-famous Trinità dei Monti stairway, and Piazza Venezia, where the Vittoriano is. In addition, you might not want to miss St. Peter’s square, site of the Vatican City, Piazza della Rotonda, where the Pantheon is, and Piazza del Popolo, where you can admire, in the Santa Maria del Popolo Basilica, Caravaggio’s masterpiece of Saint Peter’s crucifixion. There are more: Piazza del Quirinale, Piazza del Gesù, Piazza Minerva, Campo de’ Fiori.

Even if you decide to visit only the squares of Rome and to ignore the rest, you will need several days to complete your task. However, you will discover wonderful places.

In 196 Venice risked to be completely submersed because of exceptional high water.

Since then a number of Mecenas have supported and financed the restoration and the preservation of the artistic and architectonic heritage of this wonderful city. This is the case of the “Comitati Privati Internazionali” (International Private Committees), a number of private and non private associations supported by well-known personalities, who might have never seen Venice, and still wish to keep the dream of this magic city alive.

In 60 years over 1000 restoration works have taken place. Nowadays there are still 28 International Committees working in the city. Their funds come from many donors who want to have the privilege of taking part in the preservation of a city that is considered as a dreamy city. An example is given by the “Fondazione Giorgio Cini” (near st marks square venice), a famous and prestigious international research and study centre, which was created many years ago by Vittorio Cini in memory of his son, who died prematurely. Another example is Palazzo Venier, where 40 years ago Peggy Guggenheim gave birth to one of the most appreciated contemporary art museums, near to famous budget hotel in venice.

One of the latest and most grandiose projects is the one by François Pinault, who has bought Palazzo Grassi and won the competition for the restoration and use of the huge Customs warehouses “da Mar” of the “Serenissima”. Pinault’s project is very ambitious: the restoration works, which have been assigned to Japanese architect Tadao Ando, will reutilize 5000 m² with wonderful rooms in a more than prestigious area, with 210 m² of façades on the Grand Canal and on Giudecca Canal.

Another great restoration project is the one arranged by Madame Nicole Bru, a French Mecenas and the president of the Bru Foundation, which has reutilised Palazzo Bru Zane turning it into the new centre for French romantic music for fantastinc travel special offer in Venice. A fantastic project, to combine the passion for music with the love for this dreamy city.

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