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Malfa
Tumbling down the hillside to a small shingle beach, this settlement on Salinas north coast is the islands largest, though youd never guess it from the tranquil atmosphere. About halfway between the town entrance and the sea is the main church square, focal point of Malfas laid-bac
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Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata
The striking facade of this 18th-century palace features wrought-iron balconies supported by a swirling pantomime of grotesque figures. Inside, the palazzo s richly brocaded walls and frescoed ceilings offer an idea of the sumptuous lifestyle of Sicilian nobles, as brought to life
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Oasi di Seu
A few kilometres out of Tharros, and signposted off the main road, the Oasi di Seu is a veritable Eden of Mediterranean flora. Once you’ve navigated the 3km dirt track to the entrance, you enter a silent world of sandy paths and undisturbed nature. Herby smells fill the air, rising
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Museo Diocesano Tridentino
Sitting across the square from the duomo , this former bishops residence dates from the 11th century. It now houses one of Italys most important ecclesiastical collections with enormous documentary paintings of the Council of Trent, along with Flemish tapestries, exquisite illustra
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Museo delle Lacrimazione
The Museo delle Lacrimazione, underneath the Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime, explains the events of the miracle of the weeping Virgin statue and the objects associated with it. It also houses the best of the 5000 terracotta votive statues that were found near the sanctuary.
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Grotta del Vento
This cave, 9km west of the SS445 along a horribly narrow road, showcases a world of underground abysses, lakes and caverns. April to October, choose between a one-, two- or three-hour guided tour – if youre up to the 800/1200 steps involved in the two-/three-hour tour (!) its worth
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Cypress Alley
This dead-straight, 5km-long tree-lined avenue stretches between Bolgheri and San Guido; a stunning, impossibly romantic avenue built from 2540 trees. It was made famous by Tuscan poet Giosuè Carducci in his 1874 poem Davanti a San Guido . Each year in July the road creates a green
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Convento del Deserto
This Carmelite convent is located 1.5km uphill from the village centre, so read on carefully before striding out. It was founded in the 17th century and is still home to a closed community of Benedictine nuns. While the convent is of only moderate interest (unless you are one of th
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Churches
Bras sloping main square contains some stately baroque architecture best exemplified in the Chiesa di San Andrea , designed by Bernini. The Santuario della Madonna dei Fiori mixes baroque with neoclassical and is devoted to the Madonna, who supposedly appeared here in 1336, while t
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Chiesa di San Zulian
Founded in 829, San Zulian got a Sansovino makeover funded by physician Tomasso Rangone, who made his fortune selling syphilis cures and secrets to living past 100 (he died at 84). The doctor is immortalised in bronze over the portal, holding sarsaparilla – his VD miracle cure. Ins
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Monastero Esarchico di Santa Maria di Grottaferrata
Better known as the Abbazia Greca di San Nilo, this fortified monastery was founded in 1004. The walls and battlements were added some 400 years later to provide a protective perimeter to the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Grottaferrata. This bejewelled, icon-laden church features a seri
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Museo Casa Buonarroti
Though Michelangelo never lived in Casa Buonarotti, his heirs devoted some of the artist’s hard-earned wealth to the construction of this 17th-century palazzo to honour his memory. The little museum contains frescoes of the artist’s life and two of his most important early works –
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Piazzetta degli Ortaggi
Dont miss pretty this beautiful bijou square with its laid-back cafe life and striking, life-size sculpture of three blindfolded men, Giro di Sole (Around the Sun; 1996) by contemporary Pistoia artist Roberto Barni (b 1939). In the 18th century the market square, adjoining Piazza d
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Orrido
The Orrido is a powerful waterfall where the river Pioverna thunders down between tight, rock walls before flowing out through the town into the lake. The power of the falls has hammered out weird shapes in the rock walls, topped by thivk vegetation. If you suffer from vertigo, you
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Cloisters
To the left of the main entrance are the cathedrals cloisters, which feature ancient columns supporting graceful Arab-Norman arches. The finely carved capitals depict a mix of religious and secular images, all detailed on a free handout available at the ticket desk – among the most
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Il Gobbo
Rubbed for luck for centuries, the 1541 statue Il Gobbo (The Hunchback) is now protected by an iron railing. Il Gobbo served as a podium for official proclamations and punishments: those guilty of misdemeanours were forced to run a gauntlet of jeering citizens from Piazza San Marco
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Wolfsoniana
Some 18,000 items from the period 1880–1945 are displayed in the Wolfson Collection, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, decorative arts, propaganda, everyday objects and industrial design. Absolute eye-candy for design and interiors fans, they also form an incredibly rich,
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Villa Olmo
Set facing the lake, the grand creamy facade of neoclassical Villa Olmo is one of Comos biggest landmarks. The extravagant structure was built in 1728 by the Odescalchi family, related to Pope Innocent XI. If theres an art exhibition showing, youll get to admire the sumptuous Liber
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Piazza Yenne
The focal point of the Marina district, and indeed of central Cagliari, is Piazza Yenne. The small square is adorned with a statue of King Carlo Felice to mark the beginnings of the Carlo Felice Hwy (SS131), the project for which the monarch is best remembered. On summer nights, Pi
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Ponte Sant’Angelo
The emperor Hadrian built the Ponte Sant’Angelo in 136 to provide an approach to his mausoleum, but it was Bernini who brought it to life, designing the angel sculptures in 1668. The three central arches of the bridge are part of the original structure; the end arches were restored
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