A. Rome
B. Historic centre of Florence
C. Pisa
D. Venice
E. San Gimignano

F. Siena
G. Ravenna
H. Cinque Terre
I. Pompeii
J. Verona

K. Assisi
L. Etruscan necropole of Tarquinia
M. Modena
N. Su Nuraxi di Barumini
O. Medici villas and gardens in Tuscany

 
Rome

Added to the list in 1980 - visited by Maarten and Annick in 2009


Rome was founded, according to the legend, in 753 by Romulus and Remus. It was the first capital of the Roman empire and became the capital of Christianity in the 4th century. The city is packed with world heritage: the different Forums, the Pantheon, Trajan's column...

Own impression


Annick: we visited Rome in August and it was boiling hot - we even had 46°C! The city is packed with ancient remains and has a nice atmosphere, especially on the many plaza's with beautiful fountains. I enjoyed her the most during the evenings, which probably has more to do with the heat than anything else :-) Favourite site to see: the Colosseum!

Maarten: no doubt about it: the Urbs aeterna is the most beautiful city in the world! I simply love it! In each church, on each square, in each small alley you will find evidence of Rome's rich history. Whether a fountain, statue, building or inscription, there is always a unique moment waiting for you around the next corner... From the majestic splendour of the colosseum to the breathtaking brilliance of the Renaissance architecture and the grandeur of the Vatican: Rome is a superlative in itself.

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The stunning Colosseum.


The forum of Rome, seen from above.


The forum of Rome.



Annick at the Vittorio Emanuele II monument. On top of it you have a magnificent view over the city, so we have been told afterwards. Must go back for that!

   

Historic centre of Florence

Added to the list in 1982 - visited by Annick, Maarten and Febe in 2013

Firenze is the symbol and cradle of the Renaissance. This medieval merchant-city flourished under the de' Medici family, local rulers in the 15th and 16th century, its golden age. In that time, many impressive buildings were constructed here, which gave this city its splendour as a cultural, economical and spiritual centre. The magnificent architecture and other works of art of the city greatly influenced Italian architecture at that time, attracting famous architects, sculptors and painters (e.g. Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Donatello, Botticello...). Later on, the example of Firenze influenced architecture and art throughout the European mainland.


Own impression


Annick: Firenze is a beautiful city, one that I would like to explore more of by doing a proper citytrip there. We visited Firenze for a couple of hours on our trip back home from Sardegna. It was early August, and boiling hot. Far too hot to be good for walking around actually. We just couldn't refresh... The city was also completely overcrowded with tourists, which made it more difficult to visit as well, since we had Febe in the stroller with us. Still, I couldn't help but smile upon all the beautiful buildings around us. One famous masterpiece after another enrolls in the fairly small city centre, and there were loads of musea around to visit (all of which we of course didn't have the time for). I'm looking forward to a winter visit or a visit in springtime one day...

Maarten: The most beautiful city in Europe (the world?), if you ask me. It doesn't have the long history of Rome, but makes up in Renaissance grandeur. Both the architecture and the art are of the highest class. It is an open-air museum in a lively (although slightly crowded) city. Been here twice, but I still feel that I haven't seen half of it: it is just full of highlights... Need to come back here, especially now that I have read Dan Brown's "Inferno". Personal favorite: the colours of the cathedral - campanile - baptistery complex.

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The heart of Firenze, as seen from the Piazzale Michelangelo.


View from Piazzale Michelangelo.



Ponte Vecchio over the Arno, home to jewellers.

 


Beautiful door knocker.
 
Piazza della Signoria with the equestrian statue of Cosimo I.



Front: lion and Perseus at Loggia dei Lanzi.
Back: Hercules and Cacus in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
 
David of Michelangelo (copy) at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio.



Inside the Palazzo Vecchio.
 
Cathedral complex on the Piazza del Duomo.
 
Part of the Duomo or Santa Maria del Fiore, with the dome by Brunelleschi.
 
Baptistery of St.-John.



Noah (detail of the Gates of Paradise by Ghiberti).
 
Brunelleschi's dome in all its glory.
 
The campanile, an idea of Giotto.
 
Giotto's campanile and Brunelleschi's dome, decorating the sky.
Pisa

Added to the list in 1987- visited by Maarten and Annick in 2009

The Piazza del Duomo houses 4 monuments: the leaning tower (the campanile), the cathedral, the baptistry and a cemetery. The site is famous all over the world.


Own impression


Annick: I visited this place twice, and on both accasions it was a spur of the moment idea... For me it is a very nice site, I love the architecture of the buildings. A bit disappointing are the massive crowds of tourists walking around, making it almost impossible to enjoy the site at daytime. My advice: visit at night (there are some excellent restaurants nearby) or come really early in the morning. Otherwise you'll share your pictures with 298384 other tourists :-)

Maarten: I have been here twice, although the second time it was already dark. Personally, this place feels strange to me: you have the three large buildings standing rather isolated on the grass lawn, but outside of that Pisa is just another Italian town. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed a spaghetti vongole here.

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Annick at the tower.



Her dog Daiko, with slightly more of the Piazza del Duomo.


View on the complete Piazza del Duomo.

Venice

Added to the list in 1987 - visited by Maarten in 1997 and Annick in 2006

Built over a lagoon, Venice was founded in the 5th century and is spread over 118 small islands. It became an important city in the 10th century and is an architectural masterpiece.


Own impression


Annick: For me, this is my favourite world heritage site so far. Next to the fact that this city is simply amazing in very single way, this trip was also of symbolic importance to me. During this trip I realised that even when life gets really messed up, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And seeing that light in one of the nicest cities in the world... It made a big impression.

Maarten: I have been here in 1997 on a school trip. I really liked the city, although I always feared to get lost in its narrow streets. That's also what makes it so special: Venice has the bombast of the Doge's Palace and the San Marco Square, the cosiness of the small streets with its tiny shops and the grandeur of its canals. What astonished me most was the amount of gold used in the Doge's Palace! A bit too much for me...

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View on the Canal Grande.


Gondola's by nightfall.


The Palazzo Ducale.



Frehs seafood at the Rialto Market.
   

San Gimignano

Added to the list in 1990 - visited by Maarten in 1997

San Gimignano used to be a famous stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome. This town used to be controlled by rich patricians, who built around town 72 tower-houses as a symbol of their wealth and power. Some rise up to 50m high!


Own impression


I really liked this medieval town with its narrow streets and mediterranean atmosphere. I remember we came here to see some very old frescoes (Giotto?) in a church, but it turned out they were being renovated (as most of the buildings and paintings in Italy at that time it seemed...). Strolling through San Gimignano was nevertheless very relaxing and made up for not seeing those frescoes. I remember buying a piece of red agate (gem stone) in one of the tiny shops here...

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Siena

Added to the list in 1995 - visited by Maarten in 1997

Siena is a fine example of a medieval city. The historical town centre is still surrounded by a city wall which is 7km long. Siena is not only a beautiful city, it is also a city that has had a high influence on Italian and European art, architecture and city development.


Own impression


I visited Siena as part of a one-way trip to Italy with my secondary school. We were there only shortly, but I still vividly recollect the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and its Torre del Mangia.

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Ravenna

Added to the list in 1996 - visited by Maarten in 2004

The world heritage of Ravenna consists of the early christian monuments. In the 5th century, Ravenna was the capital of the Roman Empire and up until the 8th century it was the capital of Italy. All the early christian monuments were built during the 5th and 6th century. Roman, Greek & Christian influences can be seen in them and they combine eastern & western building styles.


Own impression


Ravenna was the host town of the Twelfth International Meiofauna Conference (Twimco) in 2004. Although we had a rather tight congress schedule, we managed to see quite some historical buildings in this superb city. I remember visiting several churches, all with wonderful and elaborate mosaics of the highest quality! I really liked the city and its early Christian art.

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Cinque Terre

Added to the list in 1997 - visited by Annick in 2006

The world heritage actually consists of a part of the coast between Cinque Terre & Portonevere and also includes the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. This coastal area is 15km wide and the rough landscape has been formed into numerous terraces to grow grapes and olives. The villages are built directly on the rocks.


Own impression


I visited Cinque Terre by accident. Normally I wouldn't have stopped in this region, but at the start of my trip in 2006 I was confronted with bad weather in the lake district of Northern Italy (Lago Maggiore - Lago Mergozzo). A detour to the west coast brought the sun back to my holiday... The visit of the 5 villages is unforgettable due to the magnificent road that leads to them... Turn after turn you descend slowly into this valley where time seems to have stopped - mainly due to the fact that you cannot reach these parts easily. The villages themselves are charming & worth a stop for a gelato ;-)

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View on the coastline of Cinque Terre.


A view on one of the five villages.


The road leading you down into the valley offers stunning scenery.


The villages itself are charming, coulourfull and rustique. Quite the treat!
   

Pompeii

Added to the list in 1997 - visited by Maarten in 1997

The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed during a massive volcano erruption of the Vesuvius, on the 24th of August 79. The remains of those two cities give a wonderful look back into history, picturing daily life of the Romans living there.


Own impression


To me, this was thé highlight of my trip through Italy organised by my secondary school. It's just incredible to get a glimpse of a real Roman city, with buildings still upright, decorated with frescoes and with a lot of remarkable "every-day" details, such as a large phallus carved out of a street stone, pointing to the "red district" of the town (yes, it's that kind of details I remember the most...). At the horizon, mount Vesuvius with its odd shape (due to several large eruptions, e.g. during the time of Plinius the Elder) is always there as a grim reminder that the tragedy of Pompeii could happen again any day.

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Walking the streets of Pompeii.


Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background.


Roman villa.

Verona

Added to the list in 2000 - visited by Annick in 2006

Founded in the first century, Verona was a prosperous city during the 13th and 14th century, and later in the 15th-18th century when it was a part of the Venetian Republic. The inner city houses some magnificent Roman remains of which the Arena is the most impressive. This Arena is the largest amphitheatre after the Colosseum in Rome.


Own impression


I stopped briefly in Verona on my way to Trieste. It was a very hot day and because I had my dog with me (Daiko, a black labrador) it wasn't really ideal to visit the entire city. I did walk around for a bit and visited the magnificent Arena, which made a huge impression on me. The city itself had a nice atmosphere, a typical Italian summer-feeling to it :-) The plazas and their fountains were much appreciated, especially by Daiko ;-) Also worth a stop when you are there: the house of Shakespeare's Juliet...

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Coulourfull Verona.


Impressive city walls.


The impressive arena.


Inside they were getting ready for a performance.
   
Assisi

Added to the list in 2000 - visited by Maarten in 1997

Assisi is the birth place of Franciscus (1182-1226), who founded the order of the Franciscans. The city is packed with religious buildings, such as the Basilica di San Francesco or the Santa Maria degli Angeli.


Own impression


The picture below is the only one I have. It's taken from the bus and shows Assisi as a white spot on the hillside. Assisi was very quiet when I visited it, so I enjoyed the walk from the Basilica down the main street up to some nice viewpoints, where I could experience the Umbrian scenery. I bought a nice holy-water font here for my grandmother (with the figure of Franciscus feeding some birds), who uses it still.

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The famous only pic. Really: we should go back through Italy and take more photos. And decent ones ;-)





Etruscan necropole of Tarquinia

Added to the list in 2004- visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2013

This site actually consists of two places: the Etruscan necropole of Tarquinia and the necropole of Cerveteri. So far, we only visited the one in Tarquinia.
The burial sites give you a good example of the Etruscan culture. In Tarquinia there are about 600 graves, carved out in rock. Two hundred of them are painted, the oldest one dating back to the 7th century before Christ. The murals show the daily Etruscan life, ceremonies and mythology.


Own impression


Annick: We actually 'discovered' this site by accident. We were driving from the harbour of Civitavecchia to Firenze, when Maarten missed an exit on the motorway. Our navigation system led us inland, and we passed by the village of Tarquinia. I recognized the name from somewhere, and when we saw a massive and long aquaduct, we decided to take our big worldheritage book and look if the village was in it. And indeed, it was!
With Febe taking an afternoon nap on the backseat, we took turns in visiting the graves. It was a very hot day (over 40°C!) and since it was going to take us twice the time to visit, and we had a long drive to Firenze ahead, visiting this site was almost like a sport session :-) The graves itself are simply stunning, and if you are ever in the area, you should take time out for a visit. The quality of the paintings reminded me a lot of the graves I saw in Egypt, although the drawings itself are obviously completely different. It was a stunning discovery!

Maarten: The day we visited the necropole of Tarquinia, I realised this must be my favorite WH site, and for several reasons. First of all because we stumbled upon it just by chance, as the result of me missing an exit on the motorway. Secondly, I had never seen any ancient tombs before, and these were of astonishing beauty and quality. Thirdly, because of the way this site is managed: all tombs are kept in a protective atmosphere behind a door, to prevent further damage. By pressing the light switch, you can see what's inside. Not perfect for taking photographs (obviously, using flash was forbidden ànd completely useless, so a lot of Photoshop activity was needed afterwards...), but the right way to take care of such extraordinary sites. Finally, I must say the visit felt like a treasure hunt to me: going downstairs to visit a subterranean tomb, waiting for the light to go on and marveling at the fine details of the exciting stories painted on the walls... 100% must-see!

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General overview of the Tarquinia necropole.




The entrance of each grave is covered by a little house.


Stone urns are scattered about the place.


When you enter a grave, a narrow staircase leads to a dark door...


You then have to push a button to illuminate the grave.  



Once lit up, the graves unfold their treasures.
This one is the "Tomba dei Leopardi", 470 B.C. The scene shows a banquet in honour of the dead.


The following three pictures are all of the "Tomba dei Baccanti", 510-500 B.C. This is a detail of a group of fighting animals, on the other side of the pillar there's more of them.



The dance shown here is an orgiastic dance in honour of Dionysus. The dancers are singing, and holding wine cups.  


This couple is the person who commissioned the tomb, and his wife.


The following pictures are taken in the "Tomba 5636", a rather weird name for a tomb ;-) It dates back to the second half of the third century B.C. The graves are carved into stone benches next to the walls.


This scene shows a child in the middle, leading the newly deceased, who is followed by the Vanth-Etruscan female demon of the death. On the left you see the Hades' door among which Caronte is seated on the rock as a keeper-dead. Two members of the family, who are already dead, are receiving the newly deceased.


"Tomba dei Fiorellini", 475-450 BC. You can see two red and black cockerels facing each other, ready to fight. Below them there is a banqueting couple.

Modena

Added to the list in 1997 - visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2013

The worldheritage part of Modena consists of the Cathedral, Torre Civica and Piazza Grande, all to be seen on one spot. The whole site was constructed in the 12th century and is an excellent example of early Romanesque art.


Own impression


Annick: we went to Modena not quite knowing what to expect. I knew the worldheritage part of the city was packed on to the Piazza Grande, which itself is part of it as well. I arranged a meeting with our couchsurfing host, Mirco, who turned out to be an excellent guide to this lovely city. Apart from the beautiful square that the Piazza Grande is, Modena is a stunning city. Every single house is painted in a pastel colour and renovations as well as new buildings have to be constructed within the bounderies set by the city. This results in an extreme harmony: everything fits really well into the picture :-)
We really enjoyed strolling through the streets, that were canals - just like in Venice - not so long ago. When cars became a frequent manner of transport, the canals were closed up. I still wonder if the people of Modena don't regret that nowadays... The food is another benefit of this city. Italy is well known for it's cuisine, but what we tasted in Modena was superb. It's well famous vinegar is just about an artform there. One single drop of the thick liquid (yes, it's nothing at all like the common vinegar we know in Belgium) is enough for an explosion of taste on one of your antipasti.
I don't think a lot of people visit Modena, at least nobody I know. If you are ever in the wide region, be sure to stop by!

Maarten: Modena really surprised me big time! I was expecting a cosy historical town, just like any other Italian city, but never guessed this would become one of my Italian favorites! The Torre Civica was the first building we came across, and it striked me because of its light colour and remarkable size. An impressive tower indeed, its colour contrasting with the surrounding buildings. Except for the cathedral. We went completely around it and its difficult to say from which angle it is most beautiful... Moreover, each side is decorated with many delicate sculptures of religious scenes, and several beautiful lions. The Piazza Grande itself, surrounded by the city hall and the cathedral, is the perfect spot from which you can start your visit of the remainder of the city. Notice the names of the roads (e.g. "Corsos Canal Chiaro"), witnesses of the former canals which dominated the city for a long time (comparable to Venice). And certainly do go and eat something local, such as the excellent meat of the antipasti and the exquisite Balsamico: a wonder in itself!

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City hall at the Piazza Grande.



The beautiful Cathedral.


The Cathedral with the Torre Civica.



Torre Civica.


Febe loving the lion statues.



Rose window of the Cathedral.


Detail of one of the portals of the Cathedral.


One of many beautiful cobbled streets in Modena.


A lot of streets still bare their original canal names.
 
Beautiful square at sunset, with the typical colours of Modena.


Typical antipasti of this region. Loved them all!

Su Nuraxi di Barumini

Added to the list in 1997 - visited by Maarten, Annick and Febe in 2013.

The first significant Sardinian civilisation was the Nuragic civilisation, which existed between 1700 BC and 500BC (although some part of the culture appears to have survived as long as 500AD, if we understand correctly). At least we can say it arose in the Bronze Age period. Although this civilisation has left Sardegna with several types of remains, the nuraghi stand out as most notable and numerous. These are megalithic towers, composed of large, seemingly unprocessed rocks which are piled on to each other without the use of mortar of any sort, with a truncated cone-shape. There are approximately 7000 nuraghi on Sardegna, varying from simple single-tower structures to multi-tower complexes, sometimes associated with houses that form a village around it. They had either a defensive or a religious function. The Nuraghe Su Nuraxi di Barumini is the finest, most complex, most complete and most extensive example, with numerous remains of housing still to be seen around the central stronghold.

Own impression


Annick: This was a very nice site to explore! Probably I'm a bit over-saturated when it comes to ancient Roman ruins, but Prehistoric buildings, well, that's something you don't come across very often. In Denmark in April I was deeply impressed with King Haralds burial site and the prehistoric structures at the Isle of Møn - and I felt the same deep respect when visiting the Barumini site. The fact that you can still walk around there, through structures that old - it's something that silences me.
There's still a lot of things unknown about the Nuraghic people. Probably this site was built around a central, defensive watchtower. Later on, when times where calm and warfare was a thing of the past, people have built a settlement around the tower. I had great fun exploring the site together with Febe - who loved going in and through the different hallways (although, inside the tower she had a small fear of ghosts ;-) ). The excellent guide we had that day was also a big bonus. Probably one of the best managed worldheritage sites we visited! If you decide to go, bear in mind that taking a guided tour is obligatory, and you sometimes have to wait a bit for the next tour to start. It's all worth it though!

Maarten: The fun part about tracking down world heritage sites is the diversity of structures you come across. We've already seen quite some architecture in Europe, but what we found at Barumini was nothing less than unique. We've seen Viking burial mounds at Jelling (Denmark), prehistoric passage graves and dolmens on the Danish island of Møn, and Annick once visited the standing stones of Stonehenge in the UK. But almost nothing compares to the prehistoric towers, called Nuraghi, on Sardegna. Almost I say, because I once visited the Shetland Islands and there I observed comparable prehistoric towers called brochs. Nevertheless, the complex at Barumini is still unique, even among the nuraghi on Sardegna. Most nuraghi consist of a single tower, but Su Nuraxi di Barumini is a complete village, with a defensive, multi-tower complex surrounded by the remains of housing. I especially enjoyed going inside the defensive tower. It struck me how remarkably well it was built: stone upon stone, each perfectly fitting in. Realising how old it is, it's impressive that so much of it still remains. One thing I also have to mention: in contrast to most guides we had in Italy, our guide here was eloquent and well-prepared.

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Overview of the complex, as seen from the bar across the road.



Round flat stone in the "village". Background shows the central-Sardinian landscape.


Passing through a prehistoric gate.



Febe @ Nuraghe.


Truncated cone-shaped structure next to the main defensive complex.



Foreground: the village.
Background: the main tower, with the stairs we had to climb to get inside.


Entering prehistoric darkness.


View of the surroundings, from the top of the Nuraghe.



View of the village with its circular houses, from the top of the Nuraghe.


House entrance, as seen from above.



Heart-shaped house.


Inside the main structure.


Febe exploring the nuraghe from the inside.


Ceiling of one of the towers.


View from the inner courtyard.



Info sign, and our excellent guide.
 

Medici villas and gardens in Tuscany

Added to the list in 2013 - visited by Annick, Maarten and Febe in 2013

The de' Medici has been the most influential family in the Italian Renaissance. It is their fortune, as well as their economical and political power, that brought the very best architects and artists to the city of Firenze, thus greatly influencing the art and architecture of modern Europe. Their innovative spirit is also visualised in their own villas and gardens, all located in or around Firenze. It is the harmony between the house, its gardens and its rural and natural environment. These were places dedicated to leisure, art and knowledge.


Own impression


Annick: It was boiling hot the day we visited Firenze. Visiting the Boboli gardens (that was were we started off) was actually torturing ourselves a little bit ;-) It was way over 40 °C and the gardens climb up quite steeply - from our point of entry anyway. The fact that we had Febe in her stroller with us didn't help to ease the excercise we took :-) The Boboli gardens were nice to visit, although, as always in a formal garden like this, I did miss some flowers. I also found it a pitty that none of the fountains were working (except from some small ones, that served as an excellent refreshment). Though probably the reason for that might be that the water would simply evaporate too quickly in mid-summer.
The second part of our tour that day took us to some of the villas in the hills around Firenze. They were just declared Unesco Worldheritage before we left on our trip, and it was obvious that none of it was actually prepared for visitors to arrive. We had to drive around a lot to reach the villas (there were roadworks and roadblocks all over the place), and either the villas were simply closed for public visitors (not clearly indicated on the Unesco website) or just closed on Sunday or just plain inaccessable - or we couldn't find them. We even damaged our car trying to reach one of them - needless to say: this wasn't our favourite Worldheritage site ;-) Thinking back on that afternoon visit, I think dragging myself up a steep hill in the Boboli gardens at 44°C seems like a refreshing stroll around the block ;-)

Maarten: The fact that my car looks like a patchwork is due to me being a complete failure in painting cars ánd the super narrow streets around Firenze. In our quest for the Villa Medici de Fiesole, I drove into a steep, winding alley. On top of the alley there was a first bend to the left, followed by an unexpected bend to the right. Because I had to react in a split second, I didn't realise my car was too big to get through. So I hit the side of a house. The same night we actually left Firenze a day earlier than planned and drove home. We were fed up with these world heritage sites. The misery of searching for the Medici villas was the result of blocked roads and roadworks around these sites, and this within short time after inscription in the list! Freshly new world heritage sites, but unaccessible for the public. Except for the Boboli gardens, which were great, we could only visit the gardens of Villa de Castello, and even there it was quite a problem to find it (only indicated as Villa reale on signposts)... Both the Villa de la Petraia and the Villa de Careggi were inaccessible. Could be a great contribution to the list, but badly managed unfortunately...

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Entering the Giardino di Boboli.



The gate to l'Isolotto (Boboli gardens).


Fontana del Tritone at l'Isolotto (Boboli gardens).



Statue of the Sacchomazzone players (Boboli gardens).



Pegasus and bathtub from the thermae of Caracalla (Boboli gardens).




Palazzo Pitti and the Fontana del Carciofo (Boboli gardens).


Amphitheatre with an Egyptian obelisk (Boboli gardens).



Detail of the amphitheatre (Boboli gardens).


View on the duomo and campanile from the amphitheatre of the Boboli gardens.



Villa de Castello (or Villa Reale).


Central fountain of the gardens behind Villa de Castello.



View on the Villa de Castello from its gardens.


Gate of Villa de Careggi: closed!

 
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