Ravello
The city of Ravello with about 2,500 inhabitants is located on the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno in Campania, southern Italy. The scenic location, the millennia-old history and the enchanting mountain peaks on Italy’s most beautiful coast make it a popular travel destination. Ravello was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. There is still a lot of history to discover along its medieval streets, garden villas and ancient stone paths.
Immerse yourself in the splendid past of the Italian nobility
The place Ravello has a long and eventful history. It was founded in the 5th century as a refuge from the barbarian invasions that marked the end of the Western Roman Empire. In the 9th century, Ravello was an important city in the Maritime Republic of Amalfi. The small town, which was considered a wool producer, was an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and 1200. Due to the flourishing maritime trade, a rich bourgeoisie developed in the next few centuries, which had glamorous villas and palaces built, some of which are still preserved today.
Activities and sights
Colorful houses, cultural treasures and culinary highlights offer travelers an Italian lifestyle par excellence. The charming village of Ravello, which has repeatedly served as a destination for artists, musicians and writers, has been named the City of Music and is home to Villa Cimbrone, Villa Rufolo, the impressive Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium and a vibrant cultural scene. The “Ravello Festival” takes place every year in the summer months. It began in 1953 in honor of Richard Wagner.
Bassano del Grappa
Bassano del Grappa is a city in the Veneto region in northern Italy and has about 43,000 inhabitants. The city was already in the 2nd century BC. Founded as a farm. The medium-sized city is located at the point where the flat Venetian plains reach the hills that lead to the Alps, not far from the cities of Vicenza, Padua and Venice.
Ceramics, grappa and Italy from its most beautiful side
Bassano del Grappa, which got its name from the nearby Monte Grappa, offers holidaymakers four things the city is best known for: the covered bridge over the Brenta, the grappa made in the area, the military history of Monte Grappa and the ceramics from local production. As in many historic Italian cities, Bassano del Grappa is an affluent place that is littered with chic clothes and interior stores. The architecture reflects the location of Bassano: typical arcade streets and squares in the Venetian style are equipped with wooden balconies of the Alps and some of the hostels and hotels offer a decidedly Austrian charm.
Attractions
The historic center of Bassano is pretty and very compact: there are several attractions here and the area is ideal for day trips. The most famous view of Bassano del Grappa is the landmark of Ponte degli Alpini, also known as Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”). This covered wooden bridge over the broad Brenta River was designed by Andrea Palladio in 1569. The use of wood helped the bridge structure cope with the onslaught of flooding when melted snow rushed out of the mountains. The Ponte degli Alpini was rebuilt several times in the same design. Vacationers shouldn’t leave Bassano del Grappa without strolling over it or visiting the museum that goes with it. Distilleries
Bassano’s famous alcoholic drink, grappa, takes its name like the town from the Monte Grappa mountain. The pomace brandy, which is available in many varieties, is made from leftovers from the winemaking process. Although available throughout Italy, this area is particularly known for its grappa. In one of Bassano’s historic distilleries, Poli, there is a small museum – the Museo della Grappa – where visitors can learn how grappa is made and also taste it. Entry is free and the museum is open all day.
Mantua
The city of Mantua is located in Lombardy in Italy and is the capital of the province of the same name. The historic city of Mantua is surrounded on three sides by artificial lakes that were created in the 12th century as a defensive system for the city. A fourth lake, Lake Pajolo, which once served as a defensive ring around the city, dried up at the end of the 18th century.
Insider tip for travelers
About 40 kilometers south of the popular travel destinations on Lake Garda and Verona and an hour from Bologna, the city of Mantua with its almost 50,000 inhabitants is almost always overlooked by most foreign visitors. The key to the puzzle is the Lakes, a remarkable man-made fortress created nearly 1,000 years ago that practically cut Mantua off from the world. They are fed by the Mincio River. These surrounding wetlands also mean that the city has barely changed in size – even today it only takes 20 minutes to tour the entire city center. Medieval city beauty
Image: Piazza Castello in Mantua
The place is untouched by urban development and even the current population is similar to centuries ago. The Italian ecological movement Legambiente voted Mantua the most livable city in Italy a few years ago. As early as 2007, the picturesque old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Mantua’s historical power and influence under the Gonzaga family have made the area one of the most important cultural, artistic and musical centers in northern Italy and the country as a whole. The city is known, for example, for its important role in the history of the opera. The city has also made a name for itself with its architectural treasures and artefacts, elegant palaces and the cityscape from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is the place where the composer Monteverdi premiered his opera L’Orfeo and Romeo was banished in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. It is the closest town to the birthplace of the Roman poet Virgil, who is commemorated by a statue in the “Piazza Virgiliana” lake park.
