Tag Archives: Piazza

Elegant Renaissance Piazza – Piazza dei Signori, Padova

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Elegant Renaissance Piazza – Piazza dei Signori, Padova, Padova

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After about an hour train ride from Ferrara, I arrived in Padova.  I checked in to my hotel, enjoyed a late lunch and then went exploring, starting  with visiting many of the “must see places”.  My first “Must see” in any new town or village, is to find the main piazza in the town, and Padova was no exception.

I discovered Piazza dei Signori where I later ended my day.  Piazza dei Signori is one of the many piazza of this historic city. This elegant Renaissance piazza in the heart of Padova, is buzzing with bars, cafés and restaurants and is full of life and full of laughter

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It houses the most exquisite clock tower, Torre dell’Orologio,  which was built after the Venetians conquered Padova as a symbol of power and status. This public clock which was built in 1344 is possibly the world’s oldest clock. You will find this big astrological clock on the white tower of Palazzo del Capitanio at one end of the Piazza.

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Piazza dei Signori is a lovely place to sit, eat, chat and watch the day go by.

There are loads of bars and restaurants to choose from. This piazza is quite well located in the historical part of Padova and surrounded with great galleries and shops.

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Beautiful Apartments overlooking the Piazza

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On my first morning in Padova I ate my breakfast at the hotel where I was staying,  but after discovering Piazza dei Signori, I then chose to enjoy my typical Italian breakfast at one of the many bars in the Piazza.  This is café society at its best. Actually I ended up having 2 breakfasts as I found another café that I liked more than the first one.

During the day, Piazza dei Signori, is a typical market place with its stalls where you will find locals shopping.  Here I found both the tourists and locals intermingling.  These markets are quite large with a great selection. The fresh fruit and vegetable markets and the fresh food stalls were excellent.

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Markets

Also in the Piazza dei Signori are many attractive small specialty shops and cafés with most attractions well sign posted for us visitors in Padova.

Each afternoon, the markets are closed and moved away, and the tables are brought in and the entire piazza is turned in to a huge dining area.  The entire marketplace is equipped with cafe/restaurant tables: it is a true evening food celebration, completely taken over by the surrounding restaurants. The place was buzzing with people enjoying a meal and each other’s company.

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After the markets are closed

What a perfect evening. The food was good – you will leave this place with a full stomach and a smiling face!

A wonderful Piazza for Dining and People Watching. 

 

 

People Watching – Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro

06 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Lucca, Piazza dell' Anfiteatro, Tuscany

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It wasn’t till my last visit to Lucca did I discover Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.  I must have walked through this piazza on previous visits to Lucca; however, I did not “see” it.

The Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro is a large circular piazza located in the north central region of Lucca Italy within the walls.  It was once the site of an ancient Roman Amphitheatre where gladiators and beasts engaged in mortal combat.

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Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro

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Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro is now a popular tourist destination featuring an assortment of outdoor restaurants and cafes.

The remains of the Roman amphitheatre are preserved, incorporated in the buildings bordering the present day Piazza dell’Anfiteatro

Art day in the piazza

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro

We stopped here one morning for our coffee and knew immediately that we would be returning, which we did, again and again.

This is my favourite Piazza in the walled city, to sit and relax with a coffee, cold drink, apertivo or a meal and just watch the world go by. Any time of the day or night there is always entertainment, excitement and enjoyment.

It is rather quaint with a lovely atmosphere. It is easy to walk around and to explore the local shops. There really are some lovely shops. One that we particularly enjoyed and did some serious shopping in is Tre Sorelle.  Also,you can go through the archway, which circles around the piazza, to find many more shops, bars and restaurants.

There are horse and carriage rides available from within the circle of buildings.

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It is definitely a wonderful meeting place for both visitors and locals and their best friends.

This piazza is a must visit. You cannot visit Lucca without checking out this special oval square. There are many restaurants, lively ambiance and a unique setting

Wonderful Piazza with Pizzazz – Cortona

15 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by in Cortona, Piazza with Pizzaz - Piazza della Repubblica

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Several years ago while we were driving from Florence to Le March we stopped in to Cortona, Tuscany for lunch. From that short stay and quick look around  I knew that I would return some day to spend some time there.

The day came and I spent 3 full wonderful days exploring this gorgeous city.

I took the train from Bagni di Lucca to Cortona, which took almost 4 hours with 2 changes, one at Lucca and one at Florence (Firenze). There are actually 2 train stations for Cortona so you must get off at Camucia-Cortona.

On the way to Cortona

Taken from the train

I took a taxi from the train station up to the town. On the way up the views were so magnificent that I couldn’t help myself from taking many photos. The taxi driver stopped and offered for me to get out and take as many photos as I would like. Yes please.

Just when I thought I had seen it all I arrive in this gorgeous city. To say that it took my breath away would be an understatement.

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The hotel I had booked in to was just a couple of metres from Piazza della Repubblica – down a small lane-way. I was greeted by a very friendly and proud local young man who was the receptionist.  He pointed out that some of the door-ways and parts of the building in this hotel were from the Etruscan era. Can you imagine being in something that old.

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Etruscan Door-way

After checking in, I went to explore.  It was quite late afternoon by this time, so too late for restaurants to be serving lunch. So I chose a popular  bar overlooking the Piazza, to have my apertivo and people watch and take in the activities that were happening around me. I could have sat there for hours and I probably did as I enjoyed it so much I was not in any hurry to move on. If you enjoy piazzas, this stunning Medieval Piazza is a must seen with its terrific shops and restaurants.

Cortona is a must stop if you are in Tuscany and the piazza is stunning both from its history as well as current functionality. There is so much history in Cortona and this is a perfect starting point

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Piazza della Repubblica, and its nearly attached twin, Piazza Signorelli, are wonderful settings in which to become engaged with food, history, shops, but most of all people. Sitting up on the steps overlooking Piazza della Repubblica appears to be a very popular past time for tourists and locals. Of course I joined them. I was delighted to visit this very charming piazza which was less busy than many other piazzas that I have visited in Italy.

This is the view from the breakfast room which was on the top floor in my hotel.

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View from breakfast room

Mama Mia, absolutely gorgeous and so ITALIAN

My reasons for travelling to Italy – Series – Piazza 2

05 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in My reasons for travelling to Italy, Piazza

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If I was to write about every piazza I have visited in Italy I could dedicate my blog exclusively to Piazze, so I will just mention a couple of other special ones that I have spent time in over the years.

Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of the historic centre of Siena, in Tuscany and is regarded as one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares. It is renowned worldwide for its beauty and architectural integrity. The twice-a-year horse-race Palio di Siena, is held around the edges of the piazza.

On my first visit to Siena, I was not sure what to expect but this is a place that looks great and grows on you as the more that you look the more that you can see.
It is fan shaped and not flat with a wide assortment of buildings. It felt like being in a huge outdoor living room with people comfortably sitting and standing anywhere and everywhere.
Part of the square has restaurants and bars but this is not a problem as there are plenty of places to sit and view the area.

This Piazza is picturesque and historically impressive.. It was surreal standing in this Piazza looking around at this historical landscape. Well worth a visit

The Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is a public square in the walled centre of Lucca in Tuscany. The ring of buildings surrounding the square, follows the shape of the former second century Roman Amphitheatre of Lucca.

Lucca fascinates me… it is one of the most charming towns of Tuscany and birthplace of Puccini.  Lucca is a very picturesque, elegant, walled city which is beautiful to stroll through and explore the narrow cobblestone streets. You will find lots of interesting architecture, with more than 100 churches.

Lucca is quite a small city so you won’t have any problem finding this square as you walk around

If you go to Lucca you must visit Piazza Anfiteatro – it is an extraordinary place!

Another of my favourites in Tuscany,  Piazza Duomo is the heart of San Gimignano.

Actually San Gimigano is one of my favourite hilltop towns in Italy. I could never tire of the wonderful selection of restaurants and cafes, the shopping and the views over the Tuscan Hills.

You will undoubtedly walk through the Piazza del Duomo when in San Gimignano and marvel at the scale of the Duomo and the city hall. It is always crowded but you’re in a small town so must accept this as a part of touring.  Very pretty and picturesque – a photographers dream!  There are a number of places to eat and small souvenir shops and a gelateria selling the worlds “best”gelato. Very brave statement.

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Quite often you will happen upon street entertainment. There is always something going on in Piazza Duomo

If you do decide to take a table in a main square, you will probably want to spend some time enjoying the scene, you don’t need to feel pressured to vacate your table once you’ve bought a drink.

While most bars and cafes are not usually as expensive as those in San Marco Piazza, there is often a service charge for tables inside and a larger service charge for those outdoors. If there’s live music or other entertainment, there may also be an added surcharge for that.

Feel yourself in the heart of beautiful, pulsating and vibrant Italy.

Another must do if you are in Tuscany

My reasons for travelling to Italy – Series – Piazza

28 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by in My reasons for travelling to Italy, Piazza Navona

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Wherever you go in Italy you will mostly always find a piazza in every town, village or city. In fact, in the cities you will usually find more than one.

A piazza is an open public square, usually surrounded by buildings. They are the meeting and gathering place for locals however you will often find visitors there also.  There is always something happening in a piazza and they are a great place for people watching.

The Italian piazza is the centre of public life. You’ll often find a bar or cafe and a church or town hall on the main piazza.  Many of Italy’s piazze have decorative statues or fountains. Piazze is the plural of piazza.

Although there are many famous piazze around Italy, including Piazza San Marco in Venice,  Piazza del Campo in Siena, Piazza Navona in Rome,  you will also find that most villages regardless of their size will have a piazza. They are a part of Italian life.

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One of the joys of touring Italy is to spend time doing nothing (far niente) at a restaurant or bar located in a piazza, even if just for the people watching, but be aware that in famous squares like Venice’s Piazza San Marco, sitting at a table for a drink can be very expensive.  However, when in Venice do make sure that you treat yourself to at least one glass of your favourite beverage while taking in the sights and sounds and sitting at Piazza San Marco.  The experience is more than worth every cent spent.

When I think back over the many piazze that I have visited over the years there are a few that are special to me. For many reasons I suppose, not just for their beauty or statues or fountains but also for the memories of the good times that I have enjoyed.

My most special piazza in Rome is Piazza Navona, so consequently I can never visit Rome without lots of time spent at Piazza Navona.  In fact, this is my pick of areas also to stay when in Rome.

This is such a beautiful space. The fountains, churches and buildings are all so harmonious. Piazza Navona is another of Rome’s many musts.

Piazza Navona contains two of Bernini’s masterpieces; the  church of Sant’Agnese in Agone and La Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.  Although the church is brilliant,  it is the fountain that brings me back again and again.

We went there in the evening and sat watching the beautiful fountain all lit up in golden lights – it was super busy, with artists painting, performing, singing, and people everywhere, also many folks dining in restaurants around the piazza. The other 2 fountains are a little less crowded, so you can sit near them and view the central one.

Lunch by the piazza is a wonderful experience and then dinner in the evening is spectacular. There is a good selection of cafes and bars. It seems to always be very busy, but pick a nice spot, grab some food and a bottle of wine and just sit back, relax and people watch. Brilliant

My Birthday In Roma

24 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in My birthday in Rome, Pantheon Rome

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I know what you are thinking, how lucky to celebrate a birthday in Rome. Yes, I agree, I felt very blessed to spend my special day in a very special city.

We kicked off with a glass of prosecco and lunch in a fab restaurant in the Campo dei Fiori. The view over the piazza is one that I never tire of. Always, alive and active with loads of great sights.

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For lunch we chose pizza. My favourite pizza is Quattro Stagioni (4 seasons)which never disappoints me. The quattro stagioni pizza represents the four seasons in its use of toppings: artichokes for spring, olives for summer, mushrooms for autumn and prosciutto for winter.

After a leisurely lunch overlooking the Campo dei Fiori we headed off to Castel Sant Angelo where we spent several hours exploring this beautiful part of Rome. The views from this grand structure of Rome are fabulous.

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Castel Sant Angelo deserves its own story one day in the near future.

The evening started off with a stroll to the Piazza Navonna where we sat and enjoyed a glass of prosecco overlooking the gorgeous piazza and people watching.

 

As the light was fading we then made our way to the Pantheon. This is one of the many things you must see when in Rome. It’s incredibly imposing architecture and story makes you wonder about ancient times while being awestruck at the immensity of this building

The atmosphere was just so exciting with women, men, children and dogs everywhere. The lights were all just coming on around the piazza della Rotanda showing up the great selection of restaurants on offer.

panaromaSimple and grand. We were lucky enough to have live music playing in the piazza.  It was a beautiful experience.  It left an impression on me that will last a lifetime

My wish to celebrate my birthday before I even left Australia for Italy, was to have dinner overlooking the Pantheon.  I must say, I was not disappointed, it was a delightful evening overlooking an amazing building in a beautiful piazza with lots of happy people.

Campo de Fiori – Rome

09 Friday May 2014

Posted by in Campo de Fiori - Rome, Rome

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I always love the markets in Italy and today at Campo de Fiori is no exception. As I sit here sipping my cappuccino,  I watch the excitement of the vendors and the people looking and buying.  It is such an interesting exciting atmosphere and just so entertaining. I wonder why this market has such a great feel. Is it the “Buon Giorno and Ciao” constantly being called out by the locals to their friends and colleagues? Maybe. Whatever it is, it feels fabulous.

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Campo dei Fiori (field of flowers) is a lovely, cute, adorable square, not too big and not too small.

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We have an apartment very close to these markets. We can wander up for coffee, lunch or dinner. No matter what time we are there, it is full of activity and is exciting. I could easily say that it is one of my favourite parts of Rome. Thank you Donna for introducing me to this wonderful Piazza.

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Amid the hustle and bustle of this busy city, this is a welcome respite

Fodor’s guide tells us that this Piazza has had an outdoor market since 1869 and that the square was the site of public executions during the Inquisition. The fellow memorialized by the central statute [Giordano Bruno – a philosopher] was burned at the stake here in 1600. . The marketplace is open in the mornings Monday through Saturday. Amazingly they set this up every morning and take it down every afternoon

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It offers beautiful flowers; a pleasant fountain to sit on the rim of; the statue of Bruno, and of course numerous stalls selling pasta, olive oils, dried mushrooms and dried fruits, limoncello and spices, clothes and of course beautiful fresh produce.

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Numerous cafes and restaurants are located here including Forno’s which is famous for its pizza and pastries.

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Campo de Fiori is only a short walk from the Piazza Navona, or you can cross the Tiber River walking bridge and go over to Trastevere. Do not miss the area; it is locals and we enjoyed every single minute here!!

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Campo de Fiori is a perfect central location within walking distance of major sites, as well as many excellent cafes and restaurants,. It is so fun people watching day and night.

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