The Romanticism of Lago di Como

There’s just something about Lake Como. Perhaps it’s simply because it laps gently against Bellaggio, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Or perhaps it’s the cobblestone streets or the view of the glittering water from breathtaking terraces and cliffs.

It’s located a mere half hour from Milan, but it seems more like you’ve crossed the world. The frantic pace of Milan is quickly forgotten here, where the people are as mellow and calm as the landscape.

But Lake Como is more than views. It’s a place where you can lose yourself in the beauty and old-world charm that surround you in every espadrilled step. And, if you go at the right time, you can immerse yourself in an entirely different personality, completely appropriate for the surprisingly Mediterranean scene.

To the north of the Lake you’ll find Como’s sole island, Isola Comacina. The weekend after June 24, take the ferry over to the island to celebrate St. John’s Day. The celebration consists of a mass within the ruins of the S. Eufemia basilica, followed by a procession, party and fireworks where all who participate are rather elaborately costumed.

To the south, you’ll find Bellaggio, ‘la perla del lago,’ (the pearl of the lake.) This is a town filled with colorful, hidden corridors, cobblestone streets and amazing homes and villas lining the ridge of the lake. You’ll find plenty of shade here, but a ride on a boat docked just minutes from all accommodations will allow you to relax and bask happily as the sun rays coddle you gently as you rock gracefully in the warm waters of Lago di Como. This is especially peaceful at sunset, when you can watch the sun fall and meld into a haze before the sharp rise of night.

One of the best ways to explore Lake Como is by bicycle. The easy lakeside terrain allows an average of 25 miles per day, allowing you to stop along the way to sample real Italian ice cream (try Trese, located on the east side of Bellagio, for a real treat). Or, if you’re looking for a more challenging ride and hike, climb the imperical Mont Generoso, which is a difficult but extremely rewarding climb. The views lend themselves to an afternoon or evening of romance, but be warned: You’re not going to find food where you’re hiking. My suggestion is to pack a lunch or dinner with groceries from local markets in Bellaggio or Varenna and picnic above the water.

If you stop in Varenna to pick up food, look around: This is an area infamous for the public displays of affection by its lovers. The ferries come and go from Varenna’s local beach, bringing and taking people away but leaving plenty of time for quiet reflection. After the sunset (where you’ll find the beach filled with couples madly in love), take a stroll down the passerella (the lakeside walkway). There, you’ll find the path dotted with couples whispering passionately and lovingly as they scurry along, stopping occasionally for a grope and a desperate kiss.

Whether you’re looking for peace and quiet or romance and a party, Lake Como as something for you. Daily activities also include minor water sports and trips along the old roads in cable cars. If you’re looking to escape it all, Lake Como can accommodate you.

Tuscany The Crete Senesi and the Argentario

Siena and the Palio horse race, Montalcino, Pienza, Saturnia, Porto Santo Stefano. The territory known as the Crete Senesi contains all of those things which we have come to associate with Tuscany”: a landscape of gently undulating hills, lined with cypress trees and covered by a patchwork of fields, olive groves, and vineyards; a place where to find tiny rural villages”’, fascinating hill top towns, and great cities of art.

Our journey starts in Siena. Within its Medieval perimeter walls, Siena conserves an incredible quantity of historic buildings and artistic treasures. The stunning Cathedral and Santa Maria della Scala survey the city from on high. In the city’s museums, masterpieces by artists such as Simone Martini, Jacopo della Quercia, Duccio da Buoninsegna and Pinturicchio can be admired. The streets of the historic center, lined by a succession of magnificent town houses, all converge in the immense Piazza del Campo: the pulsating heart of the city and the stage for Siena’s legendary Palio horse race, which takes place here twice a year (July 2nd and August 16th), filling the piazza with the colourful costumes and the passionate chants of the various contrada.

 The Crete Senesi commence just beyond the gates of the city, extending over some five hundred square kilometers of countryside characterised by the ochre-tinged soil used by Renaissance artists to create the famous Sienna yellow. One of the first towns to greet us on our journey southwards is that of Asciano, a town protected by a 14th century perimeter wall, within which we find the Museum of Sacred Art housing Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s painting of “St Michael slaying the dragon”. Rows of cypress trees shelter the nearby Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore: a Benedictine monastic complex which, with its beautiful frescoed cloisters, pays homage to the artistic revolution of the Italian Renaissance.

Travelling onwards through the Ombrone Valley, we make a detour so as to visit the Abbey of San Galgano, an abbey which, following the collapsing of its vaults, has remained roofless. Thus, the pavement has gradually been covered by grass, transformed in a soft green lawn from where the great columns reach, tree-like, up towards the open sky. The neighbouring Chapel of San Galgano contains a number of important frescoes by Lorenzetti. A seemingly infinite procession of grapevines accompanies us along the road leading to Montalcino. This Medieval hilltop town is famous for the production of one of the world’s most highly prized wines: the Brunello of Montalcino. Whilst in the vicinity of Montalcino, it is well worth making the short detour to see the superb Romanesque abbey of S.Antimo.

Continuing our journey through the Tuscan hillside, in no time at all we reach Pienza, a town which has maintained all its renaissance splendour. The town was built following the request of Pope Pio II (Silvio Enea Piccolomini) and designed by the architect Bernardo Rossellino. From the attractive streets of Via dell’Amore and Via del Bacio, a magnificent view encompassing the whole of the Orcia valley can be admired. Beyond the valley lies Bagno Vignoni, a tiny spa town known since ancient times for the beneficial properties of its thermal waters. A large bath, filled by a constant flow of warm spring water, is located right in the center of Bagno Vignoni. This is where one of the most captivating scenes of Andrej Tarkovsky’s film Nostaglia was filmed. As we approach Mount Amiata, the hills of the Crete Senesi give way to woods of chestnut trees and the towns of Radicofani, Santa Fiora, and Abbadia San Salvadore. Skirting the mountain, in the direction of Bolsena, we are greeted by the unmistakable profile of Pitigliano, a town perched on a great spur of tufo rock which offers a prime example of how Tuscany’s medieval settlements were transformed by the innovative spirit of the renaissance.

To visit: the Jewish ghetto and Palazzo degli Orsini. From Pitigliano we head towards the celebrated spa town of Saturnia and on as far as the Tuscan coast. Two great tongues of sand, the Feniglia and Giannella link the mainland with the Argentario, home to Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole: arguably Tuscany’s most fashionable seaside resorts. From here, the islands of Giannutri and Giglio are just a short boat ride away.

Florence Santa Croce, heart of Florence

The colourful district of Florence which, with its eclectic mixture of artisans shops and medieval and renaissance masterpieces, never fails to enchant the visitor Florence’s Basilica of Santa Croce, located in the homonymous piazza, is among the world’s largest Franciscan churches and one of the finest examples of Italian Gothic architecture. The design of the Basilica is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, who supervised the building work which initiated in 1294. Although the construction of the edifice was completed some 90 years later, the consecration of the church did not occur until 1444. In 1966, the flooding of Florence resulted in serious damage to the basilica and to the many artworks housed within its walls, including a Crucifix by Cimabue, the remains of which are now conserved in the Museum of Santa Croce. Today, after decades of painstaking restoration work, the Basilica of Santa Croce has returned to all its former splendour. In 1865, to commemorate the 600 years since the birth of Dante, a monument was erected in honour of the great poet to the left of the sacristy. In Piazza Santa Croce, the signs of the center line used to divide the square during the games of football played here since the 16th century are still visible. Indeed, to this very day, each June, the square transforms in pitch where passionate matches of calcio fiorentino (Florentine football) are played.

Heading towards the center of Florence along Via Ghibellina we come to Casa Buonarroti, a 17th century palazzo transformed in museum entirely dedicated to the life and works of Michelangelo, the famous Florentine artist who once owned the property. Continuing past the numerous little shops selling leather goods and hand painted ceramics, we arrive at Florence’s late 19th century synagogue and the city’s Jewish Museum. In the nearby Borgo Pinti, lies the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena d’Pazzi, where to admire Pietro Peugino’s dramatically poignant fresco of the crucifixion. Other great works of art are housed in the Bargello Museum, the rooms of which are adorned with masterpieces by Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, Verrocchio and Giambologna. Florence’s Piazza della Signoria is home to Palazzo Vecchio, the city’s magnificent town hall, in which to find works by Agnolo Bronzino, Michelangelo Bounarrotti and Giorgio Vasari. The Palazzo was originally known as Palazzo della Signoria, Signoria being the principal administrative body of the Florentine Republic. Over the years its name was changed, first to Palazzo dei Priori and then Palazzo Ducale, before assuming the name of Palazzo Vecchio or Old Palace in 1565, when the court of Duke Cosimo I moved to the ‘new’ Palazzo Pitti. The edifice was gradually enlarged to the East so as to quadruple its original dimensions. Vasari, man responsible for many of the artworks within the Palazzo, also designed the corridor linking Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti, passing over the river Arno via the Ponte Vecchio. Cosimo I moved his governmental offices to the adjacent Uffizi, now one of the world’s most famous art galleries. Neri di Fioravante’s Ponte Vecchio has become another of the legendary symbol’s of Florence. The bridge, constructed in a point where the girth of the river Arno is at its narrowest, is famous for the exclusive jeweler’s shops which line either side.