Streets squares and districts to visit Italy

In the heart of medieval Pisa, on the site of the former forum, the Place des Cavaliers (to be taken in the sense of "knights") is a must in the city. A former centre of political power at the time of the Medici, this very pleasant square is now the centre of student life in Pisa. Indeed, the Knights' Palace (palazzo dei Cavalieri), which once housed the headquarters of the Order of the Knights of St. Stephen, founded in 1562, and which was transformed by the famous architect Giorgio Vasari on the orders of Cosme I de Medici, now houses the Ecole normale supérieure (Scuola normale superiore di Pisa), founded by Napoleon in 1810. The Palazzo dell'Orologio (Palace of the Clock) and the church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, built in 1565 by Vasari, close this noble square, in the centre of which stands a 16th century fountain decorated with a statue of Cosme I. On the façade of the religious building stands a Maltese cross, symbol of the Knights of St Stephen. This order, both sacred and military, was subject to the rule of Saint Benedict and was responsible for fighting Muslim pirates in the Mediterranean. Inside, you can see a surprising coffered ceiling. The frescoes on the facade are also by Vasari. The Clock Palace is composed of two tower-houses (case-torri), the one on the right, the torre della Fame, is the one where Ugolino della Gherardesca, who established a tyranny in Pisa in 1286, died after being locked up there with his two sons.

Imposing red brick walls surround the city centre of Lucca, extremely well preserved and converted into a beautiful promenade. Formed by curtains and bastions, the Lucca fortifications celebrated their 500th anniversary in 2013! In the 19th century, this circle of fortifications, supposed to resist artillery, was transformed into a public park by the sister of Emperor Napoleon I, Elisa Bonaparte, and today forms a route ("passeggiata delle mura") of more than four kilometres very pleasant to discover, especially by bicycle.

Surrounded by tower houses and imposing palaces built in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Plaza de la Citerna is the nerve centre of San Gimignano. It owes its name to the octagonal well in its centre, built by the Gibelins in 1287 and struck with the arms of the Guccio Malavolti podestate. The square, slightly sloping, is connected by an open passage to another characteristic square of the city, Piazza del Duomo. To the southwest, stands the old main entrance gate, called the Becci Arch, surrounded by two towers: Torre dei Becci and Torre dei Cugnanesi.

Spaccanapoli corresponds to Via Croce, which continues on the via San Biagio dei Librai. The term also refers more broadly to one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the heart of Naples, with its narrow streets, churches, numerous cloisters and chapels. Take advantage of the know-how of the Neapolitan craftsmen (large ceramics production, wrought iron manufacture, work of stucco for mouldings).

On more than two kilometres of length and only six metres in width, houses, churches, palaces and squares follow, always in a lively atmosphere. Venturing into the Spaccanapoli is entering a theatre of nature, where one becomes both spectator and actor. from the top of their balcony the Italian mamas speak by drying their linen on hanging cords above our heads; craftsmen call on passers-by to bring them into their shops, where all kinds of objects are found; The pizzaïolos fill the street of a thousand and a Mediterranean flavour and make their kitchen to the greedy. children play football and drivers ring the engine of their vespa to try to sneak. Take a break at the terrace of the café Scaturchio, on the square of San Domenico Maggiore to better appreciate what is going on and do not forget to taste some of their delicious pastries, such as their very famous babà. But the real hidden treasure of Spaccanapoli is located at the San Severo chapel, behind the San Domenico Street, which hosts the Christ Veiled of Guiseppe Sanmartino, a masterpiece of late Baroque.

The small town of Corricella forms a colourful mosaic in the form of an amphitheatre. To leave with full images the head of these colorful boats, men and women working in the work of the sea and those vibrant houses that breathe the harbour. The postcard somehow, but in real. Here the Postman films (with Philippe Noiret) and The Talented Mr. Ripley (with Jude Law and Matt Damon) were shot.

In the same way as Baia, Bacoli housed a Roman residential area. Main Curiosity: its gigantic «Mirabele swimming pool» built under the Emperor Augustus. It served as a huge tank to the imperial Roman fleet.

Of the three islands anchored in the Gulf of Naples, Capri remains the most famous and tourist. Breathtaking peaks, turquoise waters, beautiful coves, elegant villas in terraces, caves and unique panorama almost the visitor. In antiquity, the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius built many villas there. Between the th and th century, Capri welcomed painters, writers and musicians, who all paid tribute to him. Curzio Malaparte left a villa (the film scene of the film Le Mépris de Godard), Gorki met with Lenin and Neruda still has a street bearing his name.

Not far from the port, on the quays, a stop on this square allows you to admire Livorno's most famous monument, the statue known as the "Four Moors" (I QuattroMori), a work created by Pietro Tacca in the 17th century. It depicts Ferdinand I de Medicis, in marble, with four bronze statues at his feet, which form four prisoners (in this case convicted Turkish pirates). This emblematic statue of the city thus commemorates the victories of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, from 1587 to 1609, over Ottoman pirates in the Mediterranean.

The most famous Roman historical villa. It is not only a pleasant walk for the Romans and tourists, but also offers many museums. It is rightly called the'museums park '. It houses Galerie Borghese, the Canonica Museum, the Etruscan National museum, the national gallery of modern art… It is a huge park that plays in Rome the role of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. It occupies the height of the Pincio and extends to the balcony of the same name that dominates piazza del Popolo. It encompasses the gardens of the villa Giulia north of the Pincio. This park was part of the vast ensemble of the great areas of accreditation of the noble Romans, which, for the most part, did not resist the real estate explosion after 1870. The park is adorned with numerous statues, copies of many ancient buildings, and countless small buildings, such as those dedicated to Adonis, Faustina, and Diane or this fountain at Seahorses.

Via Zamboni is the university street of Bologna. There are several universities and the municipal theatre, a th century construction of Antonio Galli, "Il Bibiena". The beautiful interior was decorated by Busi and Samoggia. Later, at No. 33 of Via Zamboni, the central headquarters of the University of Bologna have been installed in Poggi palace since the th century. The interior features frescoes of Pellegrino Tibaldi and Niccolo dell'Abate. In front of the palace, the street is lined with lodging ads, to find rooms in the month or the week. Having become a kind of folklore, these ends of accrochés paper still bear witness to a real problem for students.

As early as the 13th century, the "bankers" carried out their activities under the arcades of the medieval houses, hence the name. A few meters from the port, the Loggia dei Mercanti (1598) housed the first stock market in Italy from 1855 to 1942. The church of San Pietro (1572), covered with trompe l'oeil frescoes and in an elevated position, was built on land belonging to the Lomellini family of merchants, who only gave permission to build it on condition that the existing shops were maintained. The only solution was to build upwards.

In the extension of Piazza Maggiore, this square is also called Piazza del Gigante (Giant's Square) because of the imposing statue of Neptune that adorns the fountain. Commissioned by a papal legate in honour of Pius IV, the bronze sculpture was made by the Flemish Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna) between 1563 and 1566. The Roman god of the seas grabs his trident and rests on a high base decorated with putti embracing dolphins and four sirens in suggestive poses. Today, Neptune has become one of the symbols of Bologna.

In the heart of the medieval quarter, this long narrow street has become one of the symbols of Ferrara. In the past, most of the city's commercial activities took place here. Its name comes from the volte, the transverse arches that connected the merchants' houses on the south side of the street to the depots on the north side. According to another interpretation, the arches were used to reclaim living space in a densely populated neighbourhood. Some are now arranged in small terraces. This picturesque street deserves to be walked from end to end.

Terre di Castelli (Land of Castles) was born from the union of eight municipalities of the province of Modena: Castelnuovo Rangone, Castelvetro di Modena, Guiglia, Marano sul Panaro, Savignano sul Panaro, Spilamberto, Vignola, Zocca. The objective: to promote the historical, artistic and gastronomic richness of this territory. You can discover medieval architecture through its castles and ancient villages, the flavours of the famous balsamic, kilometres of cycle paths passing through the river parks of Panaro. The website is rich in information.

The small medieval village of Caserta has grown from Savour origins. Its th century cathedral incorporates Arab-Sicilian elements. Charles III of Bourbon, king of Naples (1734-1759) concerned to restore the prestige of the kingdom, decides to build a huge palace built on the model of Versailles.

The greatest artists participate in the project, like the famous architect Luigi Vanvitelli, who draws the plans, savante alternating between baroque and neo-classical. See also the beautiful park.