Italy Photo Gallery

Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church Dedicated to Saint Mary Nascent,

2012-01-30T11:02:00.000-06:00

Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo (means Cathedral), occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum.

Saint Ambrose's 'New Basilica' was built on this site at the beginning of the 5th century, with an adjoining basilica added in 836.

When a fire damaged both buildings in 1075, they were later rebuilt as the Duomo.

The interior of the cathedral includes a huge number of monuments and artworks. These include:

The Archbishop Alberto da Intimiano's sarcophagus, which is overlooked by a Crucifix in copper laminae (a replica).

The sarcophagi of the archbishops Ottone Visconti and Giovanni Visconti, created by a Campionese master in the 14th century.

The sarcophagus of Marco Carelli, who donated 35,000 ducati to accelerate the construction of the cathedral.

The three magnificent altars by Pellegrino Pellegrini, which include the notable Federico Zuccari's Visit of St. Peter to St. Agatha jailed.

In the right transept, the monument to Gian Giacomo Medici di Marignano, called "Medeghino", by Leone Leoni, and the adjacent Renaissance marble altar, decorated with gilt bronze statues.

In front of the former mausoleum is the most renowned work of art of the cathedral, the St. Bartholomew statue by Marco D'Agrate.

The presbytery is a late Renaissance masterpiece composing a choir, a Temple by Pellegrini, two pulpits with giant telamones covered in copper and bronze, and two large organs. Around the choir the two sacristies' portals, some frescoes and a fifteenth-century statue of Martin V by Jacopino da Tradate) can be seen.

The transepts house the Trivulzio Candelabrum, which is in two pieces. The base (attributed to Nicolas of Verdun, 12th century), characterized by a fantastic ensemble of vines, vegetables and imaginary animals; and the stem, of the mid-16th century.

In the left aisle, the Arcimboldi monument by Alessi and Romanesque figures depicting the Apostles in red marble and the neo-Classic baptistry by Pellegrini.

A small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed.

In November-December, in the days surrounding the birthdate of the San Carlo Borromeo, a series of large canvases, the Quadroni are exhibited along the nave.

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Protecting Italy’s Beauty:Italy has 43 recognized World Heritage sites and 50 registered on a proviisonal list.

2012-01-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

Italy has 43 recognized World Heritage sites and 50 registered on a proviisonal list.

This is a heritage that the Italian Commissioner for Unesco, Giovanni Puglisi, wants better protected and managed.

UNESCO'S.

1979 Rock Drawings in Val Camonlca

1980 Milan, Church of S. Maria delle Grazie with "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci

1982 Fìorence, Historic Centre

1987 Vertice and its lagoon

1987 Pisa, Cathedral Square

1990 San Gìmignano, Historic Centre

1993 The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera

1994 Vicenza and the Palladian villas of thè Veneto

1995 Siena, Historic Centre

1995 Naples, Historic Centre

1995 Crespi d'Adda, Historic Centre

1995 Ferrara, City of the Renaissance and its Po Delta

1996 Castel del Monte

1996 The Trulli of Alberobello

i 996 Early Christian buildings in Ravenna

1996 Pienza, Historic Centre

1997 The Royal Palace at Caserta, the Park and the San Leucio complex

1997 Turin, The residences of the Savoy dynasty

1997 Padua, Botanical Garden

1997 Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and their Islands (Paìmaria, Tino and Tinetto)

1997 The Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, Modena

1997 Archaeological areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunzìata

1997 Amalfi Coast

1997 Archaeological area of Agrigento

1997 Piazza Armerina, Villa of Casale

1997 The Su Nuraxi complex in Barumini

1998 Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeeological sites of Passtum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padua

1998 Urbino, Hisforical Centre

1998 Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia

1999 Vi'lla Adriana (Tivoli)

2000 The Aeolian Islands

2000 Assisi, Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites

2000 City of Verona

2001 Villa d'Este (Tivoli)

2002 Late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto

2003 Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy

2004 Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia

2004 Val d'Orda

2005 Siracusa, Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica

2006 Genoa, le Strade Nuove and the System of the Palazzi dei Rolli

2008 Mantova e Sabbioneta

ITALY/VATICAN (THE HOLY SEE):

1990 Rome, historic centre and thè Properties of thè Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights, and Basilica of Saint Paul Outside he Walls

ITALY/SWITZERLAND:

2008 Raetian Railway (shared with Switzerland)

Properties submitted on the Tentative List :

Lake Maggiore and Lake D'Orta lakelands (2006)
Historic centre of Pavia and Chartreuse (2006)
The city of Bergamo (2006)
Hanbury botanical gardens (2006)
Historic Centre of Lucca (2006)
Orvieto (2006)
Via Appia "Regina Viarum" (2006)
Villas of the Papal Nobility (2006)
Medici Villas (2006)
Historic Centre of Parma (2006)
Salento and the "Barocco Leccese" (2006)
Cattolica Monastery in Stilo and Basilian-Byzantine complexes (2006)
Ponds in the Bay of Oristano and the Sinis Peninsula island of Mal di Ventre (2006)
Scrovegni's Chapel (2006)
Fortress Town of Palmanova (2006)
Romanesque Cathedrals in Puglia (2006)
Monte Sant' Angelo and the Via Sacra Langobardorum (2006)
Taormina and Isola Bella (2006)
Archipelago of La Maddalena and Islands of Bocche di Bonifacio (2006)
Mothia Island and Lilibeo: The Phoenician-Punic Civilization in Italy (2006)
Bradyseism in the Flegrea Area (2006)
Cascata delle Marmore and Valnerina: Monastic sites and ancient hydrogeological reclamation works (2006)
Pelagos: The Cetacean Sanctuary (2006)
Wine Grape landscapes: Langhe, Roero, Monferrato and Valtellina (2006)
Island of Asinara (2006)
Sulcis Iglesiente (2006)
The Marble Basin of Carrara (2006)
The Transhumance: The Royal Shepherd's Track (2006)
Volterra: Historical City and Cultural Landscape (2006)
The Aniene valley and Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli (2006)
The Murge of Altamura (2006)
The Porticoes of Bologna (2006)
Karstic caves in prehistoric Apulia (2006)
Citadel of Alessandria (2006)
The Lower Palaeolithic Palaeosurfaces at Isernia-La Pineta and Notarchirico (2006)
Massif du Mont-Blanc (inscription comme patrimoine naturel transfrontalier, avec France et Suisse) (2008)
Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedral churches of Cefalù’ and Monreale (2010)
The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. (Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene (2010)
Mount Etna (2011)

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Venice, the masked carnival.

2012-01-24T04:47:00.000-06:00

Venice: the most beautiful city in the world, the place to be seen, photographed, but specially, to be admired.

Where the traditional costumes - Harlequin, Briguella and Pantalone - have now been substituted by an ever ingreasing, phantasmagorical series of disguises that have fast become "traditional".

The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century B.C.

The city historically was the capital of the Venetian Republic. Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini described it in The New York Times as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man".

Venice has also been described by the Times Online as being one of Europe's most romantic cities.

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Magical, Marvelous Venice.

2012-01-14T04:29:00.000-06:00

The city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.

The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.

The population estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the population of the whole Comune of Venezia; around 60,000 in the historic city of Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (the Mainland), mostly in the large frazione of Mestre and Marghera; and 31,000 live on other islands in the lagoon.

The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk, grain and spice trade) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. Venice is also famous for its musical, particularly operatic, history, and its most famous son in this field is Antonio Vivaldi.

Venice is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, due to the city being one of the world's greatest and most beautiful cities of art. The city has an average of 50,000 tourists a day (2007 estimate). In 2006, it was the world's 28th most internationally visited city, with 2.927 million international arrivals that year.

Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since the 18th century, when it was a major centre for the grand tour, due to its beautiful cityscape, uniqueness and rich musical and artistic cultural heritage.

In the 19th century, it became a fashionable centre for the rich and famous, often staying or dining at luxury establishments such as the Danieli Hotel and the Caffè Florian. It continued being a fashionable city in vogue right into the early 20th century.

In the 1980s the Carnival of Venice was revived and the city has become a major centre of international conferences and festivals, such as the prestigious Venice Biennale and the Venice Film Festival, which attract visitors from all over the world for their theatrical, cultural, cinematic, artistic and musical productions.

Today there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco, to name a few. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities and mainly people in the cinematic industry.

However, Venice's popularity as a major worldwide tourist destination has caused several problems, including the fact that the city can be very overcrowded at some points of the year. It is regarded by some as a tourist trap, and by others as a 'living museum'.

The competition for foreigners to buy homes in Venice has made prices rise so highly, that numerous inhabitants are forced to move to more affordable areas of Veneto and Italy, most notably Mestre.

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Pianosa, the ancient Romans' Planasia had buildings including a theater and catacombs on two levels.

2012-01-08T03:52:00.000-06:00

The small island of Pianosa about 10.25 km2 (3.96 sq mi) in area, forms part of Italy's Tuscan Archipelago.

Its name comes from the Italian pianura (plain). Its highest point stands 22 m (72 ft) above sea level. Pianosa is part of the Elba island municipality. On clear days, Elbans see Pianosa as a dark blue line over the lighter blue sea.

Pianosa was the site of a maximum-security prison (1858–1998), in later years holding especially dangerous Mafia criminals, although the island is not now inhabited for the whole year. It is part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago.

It is a Marine Protected Area — no fishing, diving or anchoring is allowed without special permit. During tourist season it is connected by boat to Elba. Cell phones do not work on the island.

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The island of Capraia is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park.

2012-01-05T03:31:00.000-06:00

Capraia, called Capraria in ancient times, is an island of Italy, part of the Tuscan Archipelago, off the northwest coast; it is also a comune (municipality) belonging to the Province of Livorno.

It is 62 km from the city of Livorno by sea, and 32 km northwest of the island of Elba; it is slightly closer (at 30 km) to the French island of Corsica.

It is of volcanic origin, has an area of 19 km² and its highest point is 466 m above sea level.

The island produces wine, and is a centre of the anchovy fishery. About 40 km to the north is the island of Gorgona, which is also famous for its anchovies.

The island is part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park.

The island was called Aegylon (Αηγυλον) by the Greeks and then Capraria by the Romans, its name deriving perhaps from the presence of wild goats (Latina: capra). In the 4th century AD it housed a cenobium, where is the current church of St. Stephen.

In 1055 it was conquered by Saracen pirates, and later it was held by the Republic of Pisa. It become part of the Republic of Genoa after the Battle of Meloria, being assigned to the patrician Jacopo de Mari (1430) In 1540 the Genoese built here the Fortress of St. George (built in 1540 above a pre-existing fortification demolished by the African corsair Turgut Reis) and three coastal watch towers (Torre del Porto, 1541), Torre dello Zenobito, 1545, and Torre delle Barbici, 1699) against piracy. In 1767 it was occupied by Pasquale Paoli's troops.

In 1796 it was occupied for a short time by the British naval commander Horatio Nelson. After the annexation of the Republic of Genoa to the Kingdom of Sardinia decided by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, it was part of the province of Genoa until 1925, when it was moved to that of Livorno.

From 1873 to 1986 it was the seat of a penal colony.

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The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level.

2011-08-27T05:30:00.000-05:00

The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes.

Mere administrative districts of the central state during the Kingdom of Italy, Regions were granted political autonomy by the 1948 Constitution of the Italian Republic.

Nevertheless, the actual implementation of regional autonomy was postponed till the first Regional Elections of 1970, as the ruling Christian Democracy party didn't want the opposition Italian Communist Party to gain government in many of them where it was historically rooted (the red belt of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria and Marche).

The regions acquired a significant level of autonomy following a constitutional reform in 2001 (brought about by a centre-left government and confirmed by popular referendum), granting them with residual policy competence.

A further federalist reform was proposed by the regionalist party Lega Nord and in 2005, the centre-right government led by Silvio Berlusconi proposed a new reform of the Constitution that would have entailed greatly increasing the powers of all regions. In June 2006 the proposals, which had been particularly associated with the Lega Nord, and seen by some as leading the way to a federal state, were rejected in a referendum by 61.7% to 38.3%.

The results varied considerably from one region to another, ranging to 55.3% in favour in Veneto to 82% against in Calabria.

Region	Adjective	Capital	Area (km²)	Population
Abruzzo	Abruzzese	L'Aquila	&000000000001079400000010,794	&00000000013240000000001,324,000
Basilicata	Lucan	Potenza	&00000000000099920000009,992	&0000000000591000000000591,000
Calabria	Calabrese	Catanzaro	&000000000001508000000015,080	&00000000020070000000002,007,000
Campania	Campanian	Naples	&000000000001359500000013,595	&00000000058110000000005,811,000
Emilia-Romagna	Emilia-Romagnol (Emilia-Romagnolo)	Bologna	&000000000002212400000022,124	&00000000042760000000004,276,000
Friuli-Venezia Giulia	Friulian	Trieste	&00000000000078550000007,855	&00000000012220000000001,222,000
Lazio	Latial	Rome	&000000000001720700000017,207	&00000000055610000000005,561,000
Liguria	Ligurian	Genoa	&00000000000054210000005,421	&00000000016100000000001,610,000
Lombardia (Lombardy)	Lombard	Milan	&000000000002386100000023,861	&00000000096420000000009,642,000
Le Marche (The Marches)	Marchisan or Marchean	Ancona	&00000000000096940000009,694	&00000000015530000000001,553,000
Molise	Molisan	Campobasso	&00000000000044380000004,438	&0000000000320000000000320,000
Piemonte (Piedmont)	Piedmontese	Turin	&000000000002539900000025,399	&00000000044010000000004,401,000
Puglia (Apulia)	Pugliese	Bari	&000000000001936200000019,362	&00000000040760000000004,076,000
Sardegna (Sardinia)	Sardinian	Cagliari	&000000000002409000000024,090	&00000000016660000000001,666,000
Sicilia (Sicily)	Sicilian	Palermo	&000000000002570800000025,708	&00000000050300000000005,030,000
Toscana (Tuscany)	Tuscan	Florence	&000000000002299700000022,997	&00000000036770000000003,677,000
Trentino-Alto Adige (Südtirol, Southern Tyrol)	Trentine - South Tyrolean	Trento	&000000000001360700000013,607	&00000000010070000000001,007,000
Umbria	Umbrian	Perugia	&00000000000084560000008,456	&0000000000884000000000884,000
Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley)	Valdôtain or Valdostano	Aosta/Aoste	&00000000000032630000003,263	&0000000000126000000000126,000
Veneto	Venetian	Venice	&000000000001839100000018,391	&00000000048320000000004,832,000

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Gran Paradiso is the heart of the Gran Paradiso National Park, the homeland of friendly capricorns.

2011-06-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

The Gran Paradiso is a mountain group between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont regions of north-west Italy.

The peak, the 7th highest mountain in the Graian Alps with an elevation of 4,061 m, is close to Mont Blanc on the nearby border with France. On the French side of the border, the park is continued by the Vanoise National Park. The Gran Paradiso is the only mountain whose summit reaches over 4,000 metres that is entirely within Italian territory.

The highest summit was first reached on September 4, 1860 by J. J. Cowell, W. Dundas, J. Payot and J. Tairraz. Today it is generally considered an easy climb, except for the last 60 meters to the top. Climbs normally start from either the Rifugio Chabod or the Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele Secondo. The latter is named after Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy who created the Gran Paradiso royal reserve in 1856, presently Gran Paradiso National Park.

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A beautiful mountain lake in the Dolomite Mountain Range.

2011-05-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino.

There are also mountain groups of similar geological structure that spread over the River Piave to the east - Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west - Dolomiti di Brenta (Western Dolomites). There is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites) located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona and Vicenza (see the map).

One national park and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a natural heritage site by UNESCO.

During the First World War, the line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites. There are now open-air war museums at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the Vie ferrate, protected paths created during the First World War. A number of long distance footpaths run across the Dolomites, which are called "Alte vie" (i.e., high paths). Such long trails, which are numbered from 1 to 8, require at least a week to be walked through and are served by numerous "Rifugi" (huts). The first and, perhaps, most renowned is the Alta Via 1.

A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, climbing and Base Jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn.[citation needed] Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajolettürme.

The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside the Marmolada Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe, Falcade, Auronzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo and the villages of Arabba, Urtijëi and San Martino di Castrozza, as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys.

In the first week in July, the Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual single-day road bicycle racing race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, is staged.

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The Sassi di Matera situated in the old town, they are composed of the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano.

2011-04-20T16:34:00.000-05:00

The Sassi di Matera (meaning "stones of Matera") are prehistoric cave dwellings in the Italian city of Matera, Basilicata. Situated in the old town, they are composed of the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano.

Matera has gained international fame for its "Sassi". The Sassi originate from a prehistoric (troglodyte) settlement, and are suspected to be some of the first human settlements in Italy

Matera was developed by its inhabitants over the centuries in a manner that is now called "Spontaneous Architecture" due to the way the city conforms to the natural environment while revealing many very sophisticated and elegant styles. This form of architecture strikes the attention of visitors arriving in the city, as it creates a surreal landscape reminiscent of the emotions stirred before certain modern abstract paintings.

Amidst the rocks of Matera, Byzantine churches carved into the rock are adorned with religious paintings on ancient walls eroded by time. Before these unique churches one feels transfixed in a place where time seems to have stopped - in sacred time.

Although Matera is not as famous from an archaeological point of view as Pompeii, Agrigento or Pozzuoli, it has such unique and suggestive environmental characteristics that it remains one of the most admired cities in Italy - and indeed, the world.
The Sassi are houses dug into the tufa rock itself, which is characteristic of Basilicata and Puglia. Many of these "houses" are really only caverns, and the streets in some parts of the Sassi often are located on the rooftops of other houses. The ancient town grew in height on one slope of the ravine created by a river that is now a small stream. The ravine is known locally as "la Gravina".

In the 1950s, the government of Italy forcefully relocated most of the population of the Sassi to areas of the developing modern city. However, people continued to live in the Sassi, and according to the English Fodor's guide:

“ Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses of their ancestors of 9,000 years ago. ”

Until the late 1980s this was considered an area of poverty, since these houses were, and in most areas still are, mostly unlivable. Current local administration, however, has become more tourism-oriented, and has promoted the re-generation of the Sassi with the aid of the European Union, the government, UNESCO, and Hollywood.

The best season to visit Matera is between the months of May and July. The weather is still beautiful and chaos of Italian mass tourism in August has not yet peaked. If you do not wish to be led around by a local guide (some of whom speak English and can help you to discover unknown sites in the ancient city), you can purchase a typical tourist guide book or get useful information from many Internet resources.

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Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, chronologically it is the first great basilica in Florence.

2011-04-02T02:54:00.000-05:00

Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated just across from the main railway station which shares its name. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church.

The church, the adjoining cloister, and chapterhouse contain a store of art treasures and funerary monuments. Especially famous are frescoes by masters of Gothic and early Renaissance. They were financed through the generosity of the most important Florentine families, who ensured themselves of funerary chapels on consecrated ground.

This church was called Novella (New) because it was built on the site of the 9th-century oratory of Santa Maria delle Vigne. When the site was assigned to Dominican Order in 1221, they decided to build a new church and an adjoining cloister. The church was designed by two Dominican friars, Fra Sisto Fiorentino and Fra Ristoro da Campi. Building began in the mid-13th century (about 1246), and was finished about 1360 under the supervision of Friar Iacopo Talenti with the completion of the Romanesque-Gothic bell tower and sacristy. At that time, only the lower part of the Tuscan gothic facade was finished. The three portals are spanned by round arches, while the rest of the lower part of the facade is spanned by blind arches, separated by pilasters, with below Gothic pointed arches, striped in green and white, capping noblemen's tombs. This same design continues in the adjoining wall around the old churchyard. The church was consecrated in 1420.

On a commission from Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, a local textile merchant, Leone Battista Alberti designed the upper part of the inlaid black and white marble facade of the church (1456–1470). He was already famous as the architect of the Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, but even more for his seminal treatise on architecture De Re Aedificatoria, based on the book De Architectura of the classical Roman writer Vitruvius. Alberti had also designed the facade for the Rucellai Palace in Florence.

Alberti attempted to bring the ideals of humanist architecture, proportion and classically-inspired detailing, to bear on the design while also creating harmony with the already existing medieval part of the facade. His contribution consists of a broad frieze decorated with squares and everything above it, including the four white-green pilasters and a round window, crowned by a pediment with the Dominican solar emblem, and flanked on both sides by enormous S-curved volutes. The four columns with Corinthian capitals on the lower part of the facade were also added. The pediment and the frieze are clearly inspired by the antiquity, but the S-curved scrolls in the upper part are new and without precedent in antiquity. The scrolls (or variations of them), found in churches all over Italy, all find their origin here in the design of this church.

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The islands of the archipelago are also characterized by karstic caves and cavities.

2011-02-21T11:07:00.000-06:00

The islands of the archipelago, whose substrata consist of limescale alternating with portoro, the rare black marble with characteristic yellow veining, represent the natural continuation of Porto Venere promontory: over 9,000 years ago, they formed a unit.

Several sites in the Park territory bear evident traces of the portoro mining activity, and the Park is organizing a requalification and enhancement project to make them accessible to visitors. The islands are also characterized by karstic caves and cavities: in the most famous one, Grotta dei Colombi on Palmaria Islands, finds from the Paleolithic Age to the Metal Age have been discovered.

The island of Tino forms part of the Archipelago of Portovenere along with the islands of Palmaria and Tinetto.

The surrounding sea is a regional marine reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The island of Tino has an area of 127,000 square meters and a perimeter of nearly two kilometers.

The site preserves the remains of a 9th century Benedictine monastery built over the tomb of St. Venerius, an anchorite monk who lived on the island between 500 and 600 and is the protector of the Gulf of La Spezia and Italian lighthouse keepers.

The island is the territory of the Navy. The docking of non-authorized vessels is prohibited as is navigation within the security zone.

The island of Tinetto, together with the island of Palmaria and island of Tino, makes up part of the Portovenere regional nature park. The island, devoid of vegetation and barely larger than a medium-sized boulder, is home to a few remaining fragments of early medieval monastic cells dating to the 6th and 7th centuries.

The waters that surround it are among the most popular for divers, especially the Fossa del Tinetto, a vertical shaft that creates an astonishing play of light in the subaqueous environment.

Noteworthy is the presence of a native reptile, the Tinetto wall lizard (Pordacis muralis tinettoi), a rare species of lizard. ù

Palmaria is the largest island in the Archipelago of Portovenere. Its name comes from the word in dialect for cave, “Balme”, hence Balmaria o Palmaria. And in fact, the island is distinctive for a number of caves and karstic outcroppings, especially on the southern coast. Paleolithic remains have been found in the Grotta dei Colombi.

The trails and paths that cross the island are of notable naturalistic beauty and stunning landscapes. With its one-of-kind panoramas, high coasts, karstic underwater and semi-submerged caves and sinkholes, the island is a real paradise for underwater speleologists. Many divers go under to explore the tunnels in the deepest depths, surrounded by sparkling plays of light, marine wildlife and plants. The sea reaches considerable depths just off the coast: in the 60s Maiorca attempted one of his records for free diving in apnoea here. There are few beaches on the island, but tourists willingly make camp on the rocks just for the chance to dive into the crystal clear waters.

On the top of the island are the remains of military fortifications built under the Savoy as the 19th century fortress of Umberto I. Today it is a marine fortress and a centre for environmental education.

A walk around the entire island takes just under three hours. The last part of the path, the sentiero dei condannati (trail of the condemned), is a steep staircase through Mediterranean shrubland that leads down to the landing facing Portovenere.

The tortoise-shaped Island of Gallinara is a marine reserve whose denomination is still being defined, located about a kilometre from the coast facing Capo Santa Croce in the town of Albenga. The island is a nature Reserve of the same name, a name which derives from the wild fowl that once populated the island. Towards the end of the 4th century it became the refuge of Saint Martin of Tours and the home of monastic communities, first the order of Saint Columbanus and later the Benedictines. A number of shipwrecks and artifacts were discovered in the sea beds around the island, some of which date back to the 5th century AD.

Sheer cliffs on the southern and eastern sides of the island are home to cormorants and one of the densest populations of yellow-legged gulls in the northern Tyrrhenian. The island is a favourite destination for scuba divers who come to explore the depths rich in paleo-Mediterranean plant species and rare reptiles. There are two major points of interest for divers: Cristo Redentore or Punta Falconara, where a giant statue of Christ can be seen beneath the water. With depths of 18 metres, a number of species of mollusks, including nudibranchs, can be found. Punta Sciusciau, one of the more popular diving points, reaches a depth of 30 metres; in the abysses here groupers, moray eels, octopus, scorpion fish and even large sponges can be observed.

The island has always been private property; a guardian oversees the island to safeguard it against fires and to keep its habitat unspoilt.

The island is also criss-crossed by 10 kilometres of foot trails.

The island of Bergeggi is a small cone of limestone rock about 53 metres high and situated about 250 metres from the shore facing the town of the same name in the province of Savona. It seems that the island was once connected to the coast by a rocky strip, since worn away by the movement of the waves.

Today the island is covered in Mediterranean vegetation, with interesting plant species such as the campanula sabatia and the euforbia arborea. The island is also known for its many paleoethnological and palaeontological finds. It is one of the nature areas protected under a national programme and preserves important historical and archaeological traces such as Roman ruins and the remains of medieval and monastic structures. The island is part of the Regional Nature Reserve, a park that includes the island of Bergeggi and the length of coast opposite for a total area of approximately eight hectares. The cliffs look out over stunning views and lush Mediterranean vegetation. The island is also one of the few sites where yellow-legged gulls come to nest.

The coast facing the island is full of coves and rocky outcroppings; here the sea has carved out caves of considerable naturalistic and archaeological interest, such as the grotta delle Sirene, the grotta della Galleria del treno and the most famous, grotta Marina, a genuine ‘history book carved in stone’ that narrates the differing levels of the sea in the Quaternary period. The surrounding sea is a perfect habitat for the proliferation of algae and sponges such as the Coralline Seaweed and the posidonia Oceanica.

The richness of the marine flora and clarity of the water attract scuba divers from around the world. There are three main diving points: Pifferaio for an easy dive (depth from 9 to 18 metres), Franata for a dive of intermediate difficulty (20-30 metres), and Canalone with a depth of 7-10 metres, where eels, lobsters, swallow-tail sea perch and specimens of angler monkfish can be seen.

The Ligurian Sea is studded with five islands, from east to west, protected by laws that have made them nature reserves or included them in regional parks.

These jewels of the Liguria region share two common features, namely their well-preserved Mediterranean vegetation, with rare surviving species, and the presence of ruined abbeys or monasteries dating back to late Roman times.

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Arte Sella, Art and Nature International Meeting.

2010-08-06T02:18:00.000-05:00

Arte Sella is an international exhibition of contemporary art which began life in 1986. It takes place in the open, in the fields and woods of the Sella Valley (Borgo Valsugana municipality, in the Province of Trento).

Since 1996 the Arte Sella project has been laid out along a path in the woods on the southern slope of the Armentera Mount. The ideal route, named ARTENATURA (“Art in Nature”) which has taken shape in this way is designed to enable visitors to observe the works of art and at the same time to enjoy the natural site itself with its different types of woods, rocks and monumental trees.

The idea of the exhibition is not just to display works of art but also to show the creative process involved in them: the works are followed day by day in their development as they are created and the artists are called upon to express their respectful relationship with nature from which they draw inspiration.

The works are usually three-dimensional since they are created using stones, leaves, branches and tree-trunks; occasionally man-made objects, materials or colours are also used. When the exhibition closes, many of the artworks are left to decay, thus becoming part of nature’s life-cycle; others are put on show in museums, art galleries and exhibitions in Italy and abroad.

In the last few years Arte Sella has expanded to the nearby Malga Costa (Costa shepherd’s hut). This unusual but attractive building has been the setting of several exhibitions, events and creative workshops which have attracted considerable interest and have rendered the shepherd’s hut an effective experimental and exhibition area.

Borgo Valsugana can be reached from national road SS.47. It is about 35Km from Trento and 100 Km from Padua.

The nearest airports are „Catullo“ in Verona and „Marco Polo“ in Venice.
A bus service connects both airports to the railway stations of Verona Porta Nuova and Venezia S.L.

Borgo Valsugana can also be reached by taking the Trento-Venice train line.
The Sella Valley is about 7Km from Borgo Valsugana, about 800 meters above sea level.

Parking area:
- locality Carlon: 50 car parks (a charge is levied for their use from June until September);
- other free car parks along the Valley.

Free shuttle bus service:
Every Sunday between June 1rd and September 30th a free shuttle bus service is at your disposal from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The bus stops at the Osteria al Legno and at the Carlon car park.

If disabled people are on board, the bus will continue its run as far as Malga Costa (Costa shepherd’s hut area).
The first run will stop at the Borgo Valsugana Est station (9:30 a. m.).

No bus transit:
Due to the remarkable traffic flow in the Sella Valley during the summer months of July and August, the Borgo Valsugana town council prohibits any bus transit from Soggiorno Val Paradiso to the Carlon area on Saturdays and holidays, with the exception of the authorized ones. The authorization must be required at the Borgo Valsugana municipal police station.

Screenshots.

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Levanto: searching for a new identity.

2010-07-31T11:18:00.000-05:00

In order to understand the present day Levanto, we must behave like we do with the people we love: learn its story, give a historical depth to the landscape of today and learn about the vocations and the identities that have followed one another in time.

We can distinguish at least three of them:

- the feudal and agricultural-pastoral identity of the Bardellone mountain, which is linked to the contrai of the passes and the Communications by land, as well as to the centres of Ceula and Zolasco that have now vanished;

- the communal and mercantile-maritime identity, which is centred around the village of Levante and experienced through a complete devotion to the Republic of Genoa but not without feeling the great importance of the agricultural economy: from the charm of the agriculture of the villa to the constellation of the rural centres in the valley;

- the tourist identity, which takes piace in two different periods and according to two different models: a type of tourism reserved for the élite (until the 1950's) and one for the mass (after the 1950's).

The first mode! offers, especially to tourists coming from abroad, the refined image of a sub-stantially rural Levante, placed in the middle of a rural landscape that, according to the impressions of the first tourists, was considered a great garden, a sort of paradise on earth.

The second model, instead, offers the image of a Levante) that turns its back onte its territory and concentrates on the coastal plain and on the Ghiararo (where many gardens tend to disappear), on the beach and on the sea.

This is the model that creates a split not only with regard to the past but with the land as well. The previous models had, in fact, developed without any discontinuity and without any real imbalance between thè coast and the hinterland, between the Village and the Vailey, between urban-isation and territory.

The colonisation of tourists forces to comply with urban models and styles that have no connection with the environment and it trans-forms thè rural landscape and the traditional seats linked to it into mere building ground.

This is what takes piace in thè area around the village of Levante, where the building pressure, especially during thè 50's and 70's, is greater, while the settlement System of the Vailey is stili able to hold on to its urban configuration.

Today, this phase has been overcome: we look to the history and to the future of Levante holding on to ideas and principles that acknowledge economie value to the landscape, to cultural-historical territory, to its historical identity.

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The Toirano Caves some remarkable show caves of Italy and one of the most notables of the region.

2010-07-08T15:21:00.000-05:00

The Toirano Caves (Italian: Grotte di Toirano) are a remarkable karst cave system located in the municipality of Toirano, in the province of Savona, Liguria.

They are some remarkable show caves of Italy and one of the most notables of the region.

The area is situated close to the town of Toirano and few kilometers to the Ligurian Ponente Riviera.

The exit "Borghetto Santo Spirito" of A10 motorway dists 5 km from the caves. One of the most important caves is "Basura", discovered in 1950, and shelter of the Cave bear.

The Grotte di Toirano are located in a karst area at the end of the Vallone del Vero (valley of truth). More than 70 caves are known in this area. As the plural in the name shows, there are several different caves. The whole system consists of the caves Grotta della Bàsura, Grotta della Strega (Witches cave), Grotta del Colombo (Pigeons Cave), and Grotta di S. Lucia (Cave of St Lucia). The show caves are two of the caves, the Grotta della Bàsura with its prehistoric remains and the lower level of the Grotta di S. Lucia. Both are connected by an artificial tunnel.

During prehistoric times the cave was once visited by prehistoric man, probably 12,000 years ago. Very interesting are the hand and foot prints from Neanderthals, many of the handprints are of children. Other remains found in the cave were graves and amphoras from the time of the late Roman Empire. A building at the parking lot of the caves contains the Museo Preistorico della Val Varatella, the prehistoric museum of the Varatella valley. The findings from the caves are on display here.

Another cave visitor was the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus). They left traces like footprints and scratches from their paws. And of course some died in the cave and left their bones in the Cimitero degli Orsi (bear cemetary). A complete skeletton was reconstructed and is on display in the cave.

But the prehistoric remains are not the main sight of this place, much more impressive are the speleothems, which are unique and impressive. The Antro die Cibele, the final chamber of the Grotta della Bàsura, is filled with bulbous calcite conretions, looking like aubergines or melons. Sometimes they remember a bunch of hanging penises, a comparison you wont hear on the tour.... This passage of the cave was still waterfilled when it was discovered, but the water was drained by the construction of the tour path. And so calcite concretions, which form over a very long time in carbonate rich water, which is completely undisturbed.

After this treasure the path enters the artificial tunnel to the final chamber of the Grotta di San Lucia Inferiore. And here the spelethemes are completely different, but still as exceptional as those before. They are mostly fragile and pointy aragonite crystals of exceptional size and number. After this the remaining chambers, offering a wealth of dripstone speleothems, are not appropriately appreciated by the visitors which are overwhelmed by the things they have seen before.

But this place has even more caves for the visitor. There is Grotta di S. Lucia, the upper level of the show cave with a medieval cave church in the entrance. Unfortunately the cave and church are closed most of the time, but it is possible to see the church portal. On the way to this cave a steep trail branches off, which leads to the Grotta del Colombo. This trail includes some iron ladders and climbing, until the visitor reaches the cave entrance. The view is impressive, but the cave itself is closed by a iron bar gate.

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa.

2010-07-01T05:00:00.001-05:00

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower currently leans to the southwest.

The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees.This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.

Timeline.

* On January 5, 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sessanta soldi or "sixty coins" to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. This money was to be used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower today.
* On August 9, 1173, the foundations of the Tower were laid.
* Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote : "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in [this] year 1174 with Bonanno as sculptor, laid the foundations of the belltower of the cathedral in Pisa."
* Another possible builder is Gerardo di Gerardo. His name appears as a witness to the above legacy of Berta di Bernardo as "Master Gerardo", and as a worker whose name was Gerardo.
* A more probable builder is Diotisalvi, because of the construction period and the structure's affinities with other buildings in Pisa. But he usually signed his works, and there is no signature by him in the belltower.
* Giovanni di Simone was heavily involved in the work of completing the tower, under the direction of Giovanni Pisano, who at the time was master builder of the Opera di Santa Maria Maggiore. He could be the same Giovanni Pisano who completed the belfry tower.
* Giorgio Vasari indicates that Tommaso di Andrea Pisano was the designer of the belfry between 1360 and 1370.
* On December 27, 1233 the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the construction of the belltower.
* On February 23, 1260 Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni, a worker on the cathedral Santa Maria Maggiore, was elected to oversee the building of the Tower.
* On April 12, 1264 the master builder Giovanni di Simone and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco.

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The historical centre of Genoa which looks out over the sea.

2010-05-28T08:38:00.000-05:00

It is presumed that the first Ligurian presence in the territory that would in future become Genoa, was between the end of the VI century b.c. and the III century a.d.

The first to settle there was a very ancient society which was common in all of the region of Liguria and who’s culture disappeared completely under the growing power of the Genoese costal population, around the II century a.d. During this time the Oppidum Genuate was established, and was controlled by the Roman Empire until the III century a.d. through the jurisdiction of the foedus equum and later the municipium.

The natural configuration of the territory and the insistent presence of the libeccio (south-west) wind did not allow the establishment of a typical, well defined pre-roman settlement. Instead Genoa began to form its own urban identity. The organization of the area was fragmented between the area of the oppidum genuate , situated on the hills of Castello (facing the south-east side of the natural port), and Sant’Andrea, just a bit further back, and site of the first necropolis.

It is interesting to note that the territory developed according to roman design: starting from the market place at the centre, the settlement (forum) of S Giorgio was divided using the measure of mille passus (circa 1480 meters, the military distance) and urban territories (civitas e castrum) were separated from rustic ones (suburbium).

This type of division in semicircular concentric areas was the basic plan for future medieval settlements.

In the following centuries Genoa began to take on a more defined appearance. The presence of a cathedral confirms that by the IV century it had become a civitas (civilisation) later acknowledged as a true commerrcial centre.

We know that Genoa was attacked in 641 by the army of the Lombard Rotari who destroyed the walls, and burned and ravaged the city. But Genoa healed quickly; the walls were rebuilt, and commerce was restored, and its autonomy was respected throughout the entire period of the Lombard dominion and the successive Frankish one.

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National Parks in Italy: Where have we got up to?

2010-05-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

National Parks, Regional Parks, Marine Protected Areas, National Reserves, Regional Reserves, Wetlands and Other Protected Areas.

Nowadays in our Country there are 22 National Parks, and 2 more are waiting to be established. They cover on the whole a surface of one million and a half hectares, about the 5% of the national territory.

The national parks complete the safeguard carried out by the regional parks and vice versa, and they deal with very wide territories (at least, for our national reality) by involving several Towns.

Therefore, besides the great administrative variety (since they have been established by and depend on the Ministero dell'Ambiente) the national parks also differ for their management of a wide and varied territory characterized by a relevant human presence.
Besides planning and supervising, the national parks should also highlight their being a means to make the most of the local realities and to link them one to the other: in other words, they should help them to find in the beauty (and fragility) of the territory in which they are situated an element of cohesion, the key resource to their development.

The marine parks are also gaining an important role in the national safeguard project: they are aimed to protect in an integral manner stretches of sea and of coast (often entire islands or archipelagoes) presenting unique environmental elements and landscapes which are typical of the Mediterranean area.


View from the Lighthouse Parco del Delta del Po (VE)	Bridge over Po di Maistra Parco del Delta del Po (VE)	Valle Veniera Parco del Delta del Po (VE)	Branch Po di Pila - Po della Donzella Parco del Delta del Po (VE)


Sacca degli Scardovari Parco del Delta del Po (VE)	Mouth of Po di Tolle Parco del Delta del Po (VE)	Panorama Parco del Conero	Panorama Parco del Conero


Punte Alberete Parco del Delta del Po (ER)	Cervia Salt Pans Parco del Delta del Po (ER)	Goro Parco del Delta del Po (ER)	Comacchio Parco del Delta del Po (ER)


Valli di Comacchio Parco del Delta del Po (ER)	Campotto Parco del Delta del Po (ER)	Ponte del Diavolo Parco della Mandria	Castello del Lago Parco della Mandria


Interiors of the Royal Castle Parco della Mandria	Small Church of S.Giuliano - Interiors Parco della Mandria	Panorama from above Parco delle Madonie	Foresta della Lama Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi


Panorama Parco Nord Milano	The Park Small Theater (from the Park web site)	The gangway of via Berbera (from the Park web site)	The wood of the Park (from the Park web site)


Picnic Area - Trail E Riserva Naturale Monte Catillo	Alta Valle Sesia (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Monte Fenera (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Bessa (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Orsiera Rocciavrè (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	View from Orsiera (from the Park web site)	Parchi Astigiani (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Capanne di Marcarolo (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Parco del Po tratto Al/Vc (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	S.Monte della SS Trinità di Ghiffa (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Parco del Po tratto Cuneese (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Gran Bosco di Salbertrand (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Parco del Po tratto Torinese (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Gran Paradiso (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Sacro Monte di Crea (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Laghi di Avigliana (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Sacro Monte di Orta (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Lago di Candia (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Veglia Devero (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Lago Maggiore (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Val Troncea (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Lame del Sesia (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Alpi Marittime (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	La Mandria (from Piemonte Parchi Web)


Burcina (from Piemonte Parchi Web)	Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)	Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)	Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)


Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)	Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)	Parco dei Nebrodi (from the Park web site)

source: Parks.it

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Royal Palace of Caserta, the best example of Italian Baroque.

2010-04-11T04:24:00.000-05:00

There are some walks that are unforgettable, which remain a lasting memory.

It happens when we are completely surrounded by beauty.

This year, the park oft he Reggia di Caserta has been awarded the prize as the most beautifulpark in Italy, it has already beenproclai-med a World Heritage Site by Unesco, and is one ofthe most char-ming places in Italy.

The driveway which runs from thè main entrarne leads to the Royal Palace and is three kilometres in length, and along the driveway there are water displays, cascades andpools alternate with splendid fountains.

The best example of Italian Baroque, such as the Fountain of Dolphins which is nearly 500m in length, or the Eolo fountain, the project was done by Vanvitelli, or the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon, behind which is a large artificial waterfalls.

One ofthe reasons which persuaded the jury to award this prestigious prize is thè recent restoration of the flourishing English Garden. Hills, glades, lakes and canals have aver the years been enriched by new plants from ali aver the world.

It was established as a walk to see rare botanica} plants, in the early years of the Nineteenth century it was a real botanical garden and stili today it is a rare beauty. You mustn't miss the Bagno di Venere, so called because afa statue ofthe Goddess as she is rising upout ofthe water afa small lake.

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Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania.

2010-02-20T12:49:00.000-06:00

Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.

Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. Its Arabic name was Jebel Utlamat (the Mountain of Fire). It is the largest active volcano in Europe, currently standing 3,329 metres (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m (69 ft) lower now than it was in 1981. It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km² (460 sq mi) with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius.

Volcanic activity first took place at Etna about half a million years ago, with eruptions occurring beneath the sea off the ancient coastline of Sicily. 300,000 years ago, volcanism began occurring to the southwest of the present-day summit, before activity moved towards the present center 170,000 years ago. Eruptions at this time built up the first major volcanic edifice, forming a strato-volcano in alternating explosive and effusive eruptions. The growth of the mountain was occasionally interrupted by major eruptions leading to the collapse of the summit to form calderas.

From about 35,000 to 15,000 years ago, Etna experienced some highly explosive eruptions, generating large pyroclastic flows which left extensive ignimbrite deposits. Ash from these eruptions has been found as far away as Rome, 800 km to the north.

Thousands of years ago, the eastern flank of the mountain experienced a catastrophic collapse, generating an enormous landslide in an event similar to that seen in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. The landslide left a large depression in the side of the volcano, known as 'Valle del Bove' (Valley of the Ox). Research published in 2006 suggests that this occurred around 6000 BC, and caused a huge tsunami which left its mark in several places in the eastern Mediterranean. It may have been the reason that the settlement of Atlit Yam (Israel), now below sea level, was suddenly abandoned around that time.

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Leonardo Da Vinci, the universal genius, Rome exhibition.

2010-01-08T11:54:00.000-06:00

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian polymath, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer. Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the Renaissance man, a man whose unquenchable curiosity was equaled only by his powers of invention.

He is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived.

According to art historian Helen Gardner, the scope and depth of his interests were without precedent and "his mind and personality seem to us superhuman, the man himself mysterious and remote".

Marco Rosci points out, however, that while there is much speculation about the man himself, Leonardo's vision of the world is essentially logical rather than mysterious, and that the empirical methods he employed were unusual for his time.

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