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The World Heritage status of Vicenza is primarily due to Andrea Palladio, a 16th-century giant whose works dominate the town and serve as the origin of the now-classic architectural style that has spread all over Western world (for instance, the White House in Washington, DC, finds its roots in Palladian…
Padua (or Padova in Italian) is not recognized on the World Heritage list as a city in its entirety or for any of its architecture. Its entry on the list is the Botanical Gardens which, dating from mid-16th century, are considered to be the oldest in the world and the…
For reasons that lack straightforward explanation, Ferrara did not impress us as it probably should have. Our over-saturation with all things medieval or Renaissance on this trip probably played a part – but then a couple of destinations that came later left stronger imprints. And yet, there is plenty to…
We did not set aside significant time to get ourselves acquainted with the Republic of San Marino. With all due respect to the oldest continuous constitutional republic in the world, it can hardly contend for anything but a mere curiosity status on any tour itinerary. Unless you are a Russian…
Assisi easily vaulted towards the top of my personal list of the most impressive day-trip destinations after having hosted us for half of a day. The town’s World Heritage inscription is centered on its sacred architecture, but it is also incredibly picturesque and, pilgrimages aside, does not convey a feeling…
Although city of Ravenna is not without occasional highlights on its streets and squares, you are likely to come here for the mosaics of the early Christian monuments. There are 8 of them inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Of those, 5 are within reasonable walking distance from…
Historic center of Urbino is recognized on UNESCO list for its homogeneous Renaissance appearance and architecture blended into original medieval structure. It is a town that is very easy on the eyes – and moderately challenging to navigate due to its hilly topography. Here is the view of the town…
The UNESCO World Heritage site in Modena is the main historic square, with major architectural masterpieces surrounding it. Here is a fragment of two named ones, the exquisite – and leaning (you will have to trust me on this) – Torre Civica and the Cathedral. Piazza Grande, on…
The incredibly picturesque area of Cinque Terre, along with Portovenere and a trio of islands to the immediate south, are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for their historic and cultural value, to say nothing of their beauty. For nearly a millennium, the rugged and mountainous Ligurian coast made…
The towns of Mantua (Mantova in Italian) and Sabbioneta are paired into a single World Heritage site on the basis of representing two different facets of Renaissance city planning: the former an example of an existing city rebuilt and renewed, the latter a completely new town built according to the…
Verona is enshrined on the UNESCO list as the whole city, with a large number of buildings and monuments mentioned in the inscription. It was the first stop on our recent sojourn. The heart of the city is lively Piazza delle Erbe. It hosted a smaller version of the market…
Sevilla is probably at the top of my “been once, want to see again” list. Despite its magnificence, for me, it is not as impressive as Granada or Cordoba, which contributed to the fact that we only managed to visit it one single time. The World Heritage site, comprised of…
Sanssouci Palace and Gardens, the major part of this World Heritage site, was an intraday destination on the way from Berlin to Dresden during our two-weeks-plus long voyage around Germany nearly ten years ago. We’ve always been partial to grand royal palace and grounds combos, and Sanssouci is resplendent, a…
I have on multiple occasions professed my inclination for climbing elevated viewpoints in any given location. That tendency puts this particular World Heritage site especially close to my heart. In addition to admiring architectural qualities and civic history significance for which these towers are inscribed on the UNESCO List, I…
Reims Cathedral is not the only great church that prompted us to plan a stopover in town specifically so that we could visit it. Off the top of my head I can think of at least three others. Chartres Cathedral was the very first of such churches, chronologically speaking. On…
If you ever drive through Reims on A344, you might be able to glimpse the sight of its storied cathedral from the car windows. My deep admiration for sacred architecture prompted us to plan an overnight stay in Reims on one such drive, in order to explore the cathedral site…
The Tower of London, dating from William’s Conquest in 1066, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for a number of reasons, among them as an outstanding example of medieval military architecture as well as for its role in the European history. It is certainly one of the must-see…
Kiev is famous for its domed cathedrals, and on my only free day of the recent business trip I put aside considerations of unrest in the city center and spent time exploring some of the city sights, including its multi-location World Heritage site. There is no doubt that on my…
On our last visit to Siena, my new-found focus on photography paid off in that I finally ended up with superior material to do justice to the city, something that was beyond my reach when I made this entry about a year ago in my “favorite sights” series. For instance,…