Italy Beyond the Obvious

An incredible modern art hotel near Verona (but it's not for everyone)

 

Like any business person, I keep track of what makes my clients happy. I know the guides, restaurants, hotels and attractions across Italy that will make a majority of clients fall (more) in love with the country (and I often share links on the Italy Beyond the Obvious Facebook fan page). But I also know of many other gems that the majority of people probably won't love, but that the right person will adore. The Byblos Art Hotel is one of them. For anyone who likes modern art, appreciates the unique and quirky, and wants a high-end hotel anywhere near Verona or Lake Garda, look no further. 

 

The outside of the hotel looks just like a classic 15th century Veneto villa. Oh, wait it is.  

 

The inside was fully restored and opened as a working hotel in 2005, but is also a permanent collection of original artworks by artists from around the world. The furniture, tableware, and bedroom lamps are part of the art, and some of it is from the Byblos pret a porter collection which means if you like it, it's available for purchase.

 

 

There are a million things to do in the area, including visiting Verona and its opera festival, Lake Garda, Padua, Palladian villas in the Veneto, or even Venice. Not to mention you're in the middle of Valpolicella wine country. But you'll want to spend some time at the hotel exploring its gardens, spa, or eating at its gourmet restaurant (which is open to the public, so you can go eat dinner there even if you're not a guest).

 

 

Full disclosure: this post probably sounds like an ad, but there is nothing to disclose here. I'm not getting paid or compensated in any way from writing about this hotel. I asked a hotel representative for the photos because I wanted to write about this very unique hotel.

 

All photos belong to Byblos Art Hotel

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

A fantastic easy bike ride near Venice

 

I'd love to hop on a bike, circle St. Mark's Square, ride over the Rialto Bridge past the markets, cycle through the city's narrow calle and bump down its many short staircases. But if you've been to Venice, you already know that unless you're getting a ride from Mary Poppins or E.T., the center of Venice isn't going to work on a bike.

However there is a fantastic easy bike ride I recommend. Look at the map of Venice (below) and find the main fish-shaped set of islands you recognize, then look a little south. You'll see two very long and skinny islands: the Lido and the island of Pellestrina. Both islands have paved routes and are completely flat, making them ideal for an easy cycle with amazing views of both the sea and of Venice. Bring lots of water and a swim suit and towel if it's warm, because you'll cycle by many sandy beaches. But start from the town of Chioggia, at the bottom of the map below.

Rent bikes in Chioggia at Top Bike Di Fontolan Sebastiano, via Cristoforo Colombo 162, Chioggia, VE 30015, tel.: 39 0415544447. A mile or so down the road you'll hit the ferry terminal for boats to Pellestrina, which is about a 30 minute ride. Tip: get there 30 minutes or so before the ferry leaves, because the ferry driver decides how many bikes to allow on board. You want to be near the front of the line or you may be told to get the next ferry.

 

Cycle heading north up the length of Pellestrina, which is just 5 miles (about 8 km) long. Stay to the right, and when you reach the end of the island take the 10-minute ferry across to Lido island, which is longer than Pellestrina but not by much. Tip: When you get off the ferry at Lido, stay to the left, and cycle along Via Alberoni. When you pass the Istituto Carlo Steeb, take the tiny road on your right that crosses the island. You'll see a set of steps that lead up to the Lido walls where you can cycle (photo below). Continue to the end of the Lido island along the island's east side and for the return consider cycling back down the west side of the island, through the various fishing villages.

 

Timing: If you do both Lido and Pellestrina, it's 15 miles (24 km) one-way. So in addition to 40 minutes of ferry rides, expect about 90 minutes of very easy cycling to get from one end to the other. Then do the whole thing in reverse. So factor in a total of about 80 minutes on the ferry and 3 hours of cycling, plus leeway, and time for lunch or a swim.

Alternatively, if you can't get to Chioggia, you can get to Lido easily from Venice and rent bikes there.

 

Photo of cyclist on Pellestrina by Bicinvacanza, used with permission. Other photos from passioneventi.it

 

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

An incredible tattoo artist near Venice: Alex De Pase

 

When you think of Italy's incredible artists, a tattoo artist might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but the photos below may elicit a similar reaction as some of Italy's more well-known art: awesome. Scroll down for information on booking Alex's services and to read his "bio and thoughts".

 

 

 

 

Information on booking Alex

Alex doesn't schedule appointments, but puts clients on a waiting list, which is currently about a year out. But if you're traveling to Italy and want to see him, let him know your dates as soon as possible and he'll try to accommodate your schedule. Or, if you just want to see his work and won't be near Grado, where he's based, check the schedule on his website to see whether you can cross paths in another Italian city or a Tattoo Expo. You can contact him at info@alexdepasetattoo.com or follow him on his Facebook page.

 

Biography and Thoughts, by Alex De Pase

My name is Alex De Pase, and I graduated in 1975. I started teaching myself to tattoo at age 15 and since then have never stopped trying to improve, both technically and artistically. In 1997 I opened my first tattoo studio. After the first few years I saw such an increase in work that I moved to a larger studio with more equipment. From the very beginning, I’ve studied drawing, painting and art in general, and I’ve continued to research and understand the fundamentals of tattooing.

For a long time I tattooed every type and style of image, but finally decided to focus on realism. I think that realism is actually the point of departure for every artist. Until an artist can really see all the detail that our already-perfect reality offers, he can’t take the next step, which is to reinterpret that reality according to his own preferences.

I love realism because the goal is to perfectly examine and reproduce details, light, and depth. To me, one of the most fascinating things about realism is that even though it might seem like a mere reproduction of something that already exists, it’s actually much more than that. I don’t agree that creating art based on realism is solely technique. The artist must master a very complex technique, but must also have sensitivity, be able to apply his own interpretation, and have the capacity to perceive color, detail, and atmosphere, among other things. Every artist’s outlook and views are expressed with the reproduction of images, and give a certain atmosphere to each tattoo.   

The more interested someone is in his surroundings, the more he is able to internalize and gather the essence of things. The consequence of this is better results. For this reason every realist artist feels a huge amount of gratification at the end of every piece of work, but it's a fleeting gratification, because very soon afterwards, in the artist's eyes, this same work of art is old and therefore could be improved. If an artist doesn’t feel this way, it doesn’t mean he’s reached his peak; more likely he’s stopped thinking.

Therefore, for me and for many artists in this area, it’s a race without end in that I realize that even a “perfect” reproduction will never be as beautiful as reality, at least for the moment....

Tattooing is extremely fascinating precisely because it’s a real art form in which one can express themselves 360 degrees, just as through painting. I think what is missing in tattooing right now is the freedom to unchain oneself from the icons, the styles and the subject matters which for years have characterized the art but don’t necessarily belong to the artist's culture.

 

All photos by Alex De Pase

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Short Trips from Milan

When I worked in Milan I took advantage of weekends to travel. Below I've made a list of my favorite places to visit from Milan in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. I've put cities in a list based on the minimum amount of time I recommend spending there. Unless otherwise specified, all travel times are by train.

 

If you have just 1 day...

• Visit the Carthusian Monastery of Pavia, only 20 minutes away.
• The town and beautiful park of Monza are just 10 minutes away.
• The ancient town of Bergamo is under an hour away.
• The Roman town of Como, on the lake with the same name, is just an hour away.
• The Lake Maggiore is also one hour away. Take the train to the beautiful town of Stresa and go from there.
• Go to Switzerland! In 1 hour you are in the pretty lakeside town of Lugano.
• Gawk at the the picturesque alpine scenery of the Aosta Valley.
• In just over an hour, you're in the atmospheric university city of Bologna.
• Visit the gastronomically and architecturally significant Parma, less than 90 minutes away. Arrive hungry.
• At 90 minutes away, Turin is somewhat of a long day trip but one of my favorite people lives there so I've done it many times.
• The port city of Genoa is also about 90 minutes away. It's a long day trip but if that's all you have, then go, and at the end of the day you'll be promising to return as soon as you can.

 

If you have 2 days, consider any of the above, and in addition....

• The spa town of Sirmione, on Lake Garda is a couple hours away. 
• Visit the town or see an outdoor opera in the small city of Verona, under 2 hours away.
• Get a little off the beaten track in the town of Vicenza about 2 hours away - and don't miss Palladio's Villa Rotonda.
• Go to Florence, just under 2 hours away.
• Enjoy art, architecture and food in the gorgeous city of Padua, just over 2 hours away.
• Spend time in Venice, about 2.5 hours away. Two days in Venice is a little rushed but if that's all you have, then go.
• Hike the Cinque Terre, which is about 3 hours away by train.
• Sure why not - go to Pisa and climb the leaning tower.

 

If you have 3 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• From Florence, visit the towns of Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano - or if you have a car, Monteriggioni or Volterra.
• Spend a couple days on the island of Elba. Allow about 4 hours for the train plus 1 hour for the ferry. (Though this trip is easier by car when starting from Milan.)
• See the spectacular Byzantine mosaics in the city of Ravenna, and while you're in the area, stop in and visit the town of Brisighella. 
• In 4 hours you're in the gorgeous Umbrian city of Perugia. From there visit Assisi as well.

 

If you have 4 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• Venture further into Tuscany, visiting the towns of Pienza and Montepulciano.
• Go to Rome.
• Explore more of Umbria from your base in Perugia. Visit the towns of Gubbio, Spoleto, Todi, and Orvieto.
• Explore more of the Veneto, going up to Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, and the countryside - red and Prosecco wineries! - north of Verona.
• Go skiing at Cortina D'Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Or if it's summertime, go hiking near Ortisei in the Val Gardena.

I don't recommend going south of Rome if you have only 4 days total, nor do I recommend trying to go to Sardinia or Sicily. You just need more time that that (even though, I know, Italy does look misleadingly small on the map!)

Photos from top to bottom: Parma, Sirmione, Lucca, the Dolomites near Ortisei. All photos by Sanjay

Not sure which of the locations above to pick? Italy Beyond the Obvious can plan your entire trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

The best outlet malls in Italy

 

It's January, and the sales have started across Italy. If you're okay with crowds, the January and July sale periods in Italy are a fantastic time to shop. (Last time I went during the January sales I actually witnessed a fist fight in the parking lot over a parking space - which was interesting, considering that cars were parked wherever they would fit, including on medians, on the sidewalk and in a line in the middle of the road.)

There are hundreds of outlet stores around Italy, but here are 6 outlet malls in particular that I would recommend if you want to shop. Note that these "malls" are not indoors, so dress accordingly (since sales are in the coldest and hottest times of the year).

Near Milan

• Serravalle Designer Outlet has 180 stores and a huge parking lot (site of aforementioned skirmish). Open most days from 10 am to 8 pm, but hours are sometimes limited on Mondays so check opening times on the website. Drive to this mall, or go with a bus tour.

• FoxTown outlet is near Milan but it's actually in Switzerland. It has about 100 stores and is open daily from 11 am to 7 pm. Get there by car or take a bus tour from Milan or Bergamo. Tip: if you're undecided on whether to go to Serravalle or FoxTown from Milan, remember that you'll be spending Swiss Francs in Switzerland so checking the exchange rate may help with your decision.

 Near Florence

• The Mall is 30 minutes outside of Florence (and pretty close to Lucca) and smaller than other outlets, with about 20 stores.

• If you're a fan of Prada or Miu Miu, visit the Space outlet in Montevarchi (drive, or take a train + taxi). They only let 100 people in at a time, so take a number, order a cappuccino at the bar next door, and wait until your number is called. Open daily from 9.30 am, but call ahead to check opening hours. Address: Località Levanella, 52025 Montevarchi (AR). Phone: +39 055 91 901. Tip: if you don't like crowds, avoid Saturdays.

• The same company that runs Serravalle near Milan also has a big outlet mall near Florence called Barberino, with almost 100 stores. For info on how to get there by car or by shuttle from Florence, opening times, stores, and a map, check the website.

Near Rome

• Castel Romano is owned by the same company that owns Serravalle near Milan and Barberino near Florence. It's got 110 stores, is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 8 or 9 pm, and is about 30 minutes outside Rome.

Near Venice

• Noventa di Piave is about 30 minutes from Venice, and has about 50 stores. Open from 10 am to 8 pm seven days a week, it's accessible by car or by shuttle from the San Dona' di Piave bus station. For a map of the stores, address and phone numbers, download this pdf.

Photo by Sanjay

Need help planning a trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

What to buy in Venice and the Veneto

 

1. Masks. Elaborate masks are good gifts, or for something more portable and less expensive, get a hand-painted mask to hang on the wall, something like in the photo above (which I'm including in Delicious Baby's Photo Friday).

2. Stationery or notebooks. Cartoleria (stationery stores) all over Italy are full of gorgeous handmade paper from the Veneto. After visiting a few stores you'll start to recognize the typical patterns on notebook covers.

 

3. Glass. This can range from a vase or Murano chandelier to smaller items. Some of my favorite smaller gifts to bring home for friends are glass candies (bonbons), glass fountain pens (they do work, though you need an inkpot) and glass-topped wine stoppers.

4. Prosecco and red wine. You'll likely want to drink some before you leave, and the Veneto has lots of good wineries. Local red wines to try include the high-end Amarone and the lower-end but still excellent Valpolicella. Prosecco, Amarone and Valpolicella are easy to find outside Italy, but in general the brands that are consumed locally are not exported and vice-versa, so if you find one you really like, consider shipping home a case.

5. Lace. This almost didn't make the list but I'm including it with a buyer beware: once famous for handmade lace, Venice's island of Burano now sells lace mostly made in China. The way to tell whether it might be locally made? The (very high) price tag.

Photos by Sanjay

 

Need help planning a trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Do you know the name of this mountain? (and why you should know local names)

Is it:

a) Matterhorn

b) Mont Cervin

c) Monte Cervino

d) all of the above

The answer is D. Asking Italians about The Matterhorn - a Swiss mountain also visible from Italy and France - will produce blank stares. I speak from experience. But ask about Il Cervino and you'll be met with enthusiasm about its beauty. (To further confuse things, many people refer to it as Zermatt, which is actually the name of the town at the base of the mountain.)

Some place names are easy to figure out: you can infer that Roma is Rome, Napoli is Naples, and Milano is Milan. But many travelers are surprised to discover that there is no Florence or Venice in Italy. You're getting off the train or exiting the highway at Firenze or Venezia, respectively. And some translations of place names are downright puzzling. I almost missed a flight once from Milan to Munich, Germany, because I didn't know that in Italian, the word for Munich is Monaco.

Assume it's lost in translation, not ignorance

As a exchange student at an Italian high school, I was surprised that the Canadian school curriculum had completely neglected to teach me about a famous and significant ruler in the Middle Ages, Carlo Magno. I was wowed by his achievements, and my Italian classmates couldn't believe I had never heard of him. Pretty soon, the details started ringing a bell and I realized: it was Charlemagne! Giovanni Caboto was the explorer John Cabot! Yet for some reason I had learned about Marco Polo, and not Mark Pole. 

So whether or not you've learned the various ways of saying "hello" in Italian or perfected the rolling r's in arrivederci, make time before your trip to review the Italian names of the cities you're visiting. And once in Italy, while getting to know the locals remember that there are lots of Carlo Magnos out there. The Italians may have never heard of Charlemagne, but they may know more about Carlo Magno than you do. 

Photo by Dylan Marriott

Like what you read? Subscribe for free in a reader or spread the word about Italy Beyond the Obvious custom trip planning.

The Best Hotels in Italy

Travel & Leisure Magazine recently published a list of Best Hotels in the World, based on a reader survey. I pulled the Italy ones from the bunch because it's an interesting list, and because the T&L website doesn't allow you to. Lists of Best Hotels in Italy abound if you do a Google search, but I do like this one (even if it doesn't include my favorite hotel in Italy - probably just as well). 

  

Best Hotels

1) Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna

2) Il San Pietro, Positano

3) Westin Palace, Milan

Best Resorts

1) Il San Pietro, Positano

2) Hotel Villa Sant'Andrea, Taormina

3) Grand Hotel Timeo, Taormina

4) Hotel Excelsior, Venice

5) Hotel Caruso Belvedere, Ravello

Best Small Hotels in a City

1) Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Florence

2) Hotel D'Inghilterra, Rome

3) J.K. Place, Florence

4) Boscolo Hotel Palace, Rome

Best Inns & Small Country Hotels

1) La Rosa dei Venti, Positano

2) La Posta Vecchia, Ladispoli (near Rome)

3) Villa Pisani, Vescovana (between Verona and Venice)

4) La Scalinatella, Capri

5) Grand Hotel A Villa Feltrinelli, Gargnano (on Lake Garda)

Top photo of La Posta Vecchia in Ladispoli; Second photo of Villa Sant'Andrea in Taormina; last photo of Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano

Need help finding hotels in Italy that meet your specific needs? Contact Italy Beyond the Obvious for custom trip planning.

Unfinished Churches in Italy: Lessons in Project Management

Imagine leading a project involving hundreds of workers, no email, lots of big egos, and with a timeline of several hundred years. And yet many such art & architecture projects have been very (!) successfully completed in Italy over the last several thousand years (hence: appreciative tourists). But it does make sense that some projects wouldn't be as well executed as others: political errors, funding challenges, or a change in management could cause a building to remain half-finished. All of which means: you can't necessarily judge a church by its façade. The churches below are very impressive on the inside but with façades that took the hit from project management errors.

1. "What Was the Plan Again?" San Lorenzo in Florence

Begun in 1419, this church is attributed to the famous architect Brunelleschi, but due to a change in management and a lack of funds, the only part of his design that was actually implemented is the transept. Then, 100 years into the project, Michelangelo was commissioned by the Pope to design a façade out of white marble, which he did, but (as you can see) was never added. Michelangelo did however build an internal façade, and funds are currently being raised to complete the external façade according to his specification.

2. "Can't Come to Work, I've Got the Plague": San Fortunato in Todi, Umbria

Construction of this church started in 1292 but was stopped when the plague hit in 1348. The lower part of the façade was finished 100 years later. The art and wooden choir inside are worth a visit. Okay I guess when your whole team and your whole backup team are sick with the plague, it's more unlucky than bad planning. But they still didn't manage to finish the façade after everyone got healthy. 

3. "It Was Nobody's Fault" 

Neither English nor Italian Google could help me find out why the façades of these significant churches were never finished (if you know please share!):

• The church of Sant'Anastasia (photo) is Verona's largest church and is considered the city's best example of Gothic architecuture.

• The church of San Marcuola in Venice (photo above) has two incredible Tintoretto frescoes as well as sculpture worth seeing on the altar.

• Santa Maria delle Carceri in Prato (photo), Tuscany was built in the late 15th century after a painting of the Virgin Mary on one of the walls of the local prison became animated. The inside has stained glass by Ghirlandaio and glazed ceramics by Andrea della Robbia.

• The Basilica di San Clemente in Santa Maria dei Servi (photo), Siena was begun in the 13th century and altered in the 15th and 16th centuries. Inside it has frescoes, a 13th century holy water stoup, and a 14th century crucifix.

4. "Oops I Ticked Off the Pope": Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna

 

Construction of this Basilica began in the 14th century and lasted several hundred years. Then 120 years into the project, the city of Bologna decided the Basilica could rival St. Peter's in Rome, in size, footprint, and ornamentation. The building project immediately lost the support of the Pope, and the proposed Latin cross design was never finished, so the church is in the shape of a T. And none of the many proposals for finishing the façade were accepted. 

However the church has still had a long and important history. And when you visit the inside, you'll see that it had a big (just not big enough) budget: there are incredible stained glass windows, marble walls and ornamentation, two organs, frescoes, an amazing altar, the longest sundial in the world. All this, and a capacity of 28,000 people.

Photo of San Petronio by Il Cama; Photo of San Lorenzo by Rogilde; Photo of San Fortunato by Gaspa; Photo of San Marcuola by Steve Knight

Like what you read? Subscribe for free in a reader or spread the word about Italy Beyond the Obvious custom trip planning.

The Best Museums in Italy

The Touring Club Italiano recently released its list of the 30 most visited museums in Italy of 2008. The top 30 museums saw a total of 23 million visitors in 2008, and the top 3 accounted for more than a third (8.2m) of those. 

Below is a summary of the 3 most visited museums in: all of Italy, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, and finally, the 3 museums in Italy with the largest increase of visitors compared to 2007. All information is taken directly from the Touring Club document, but I included links to each museum.

The 3 Most Visited Museums in Italy

1. Vatican Museums (4.4m visitors)

2. Archaeological Site of Pompeii (2.3m visitors)

3. Uffizi Gallery/Vasari Corridor in Florence (1.6m visitors)

The 3 Most Visited Museums in Rome / Vatican City

1. Vatican Museums (4.4m visitors)

2. Museo Centrale del Risorgimento (810k visitors)

3. Bioparco (780k visitors)

The 3 Most Visited Museums in Florence

1.. Uffizi Gallery/Vasari Corridor (1.6m visitors)

2. Galleria dell'Accademia (1.2m visitors)

3. Opera di Santa Croce (837k visitors)

The 3 Most Visted Museums in Venice

1. Palazzo Ducale/Doge's Palace (1.4m visitors)

2. St. Mark's museum (510k visitors)

3. Galleria dell'Accademia (356k visitors)

The 3 Most Visited Museums in Milan

1. Museo Civico di Storia Naturale / Natural History Museum (350k visitors)

2. The Last Supper / Cenacolo Vinciano (335k visitors)

3. Da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology (329k visitors)

The 3 Museums in Italy with the Largest Increase in Visitors

1. Citta' della Scienza / City of Science (link in Italian) in Naples

2. Citta' dei Bambini e Ragazzi / City of Kids (link in Italian) in Genova

3. Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali / Natural Science Museum (link in Italian) in Bergamo

Photo of the Laocoon Group, in the Vatican Museums, by Joao Maximo