Discover the Architecture virtual tours
We offer Architecture themed visits along Italian best cities
THE MEDICI CHAPEL
A FAMILY PANTHEON FULL OF WONDERS
Cosimo I de’Medici towards the middle of the 16th century cultivated the dream of creating a big family pantheon in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence.
We will follow the path that from the first burials of his ancestors will take us to the current set-up of the Medici Chapels, through centuries of history and art.
We will visit the amazing Cappella dei Principi with its “stone paintings” and discover what philosophical and spiritual messages are contained in the Sacrestia Nuova created by the great Michelangelo.
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Sara.
THE ROYAL PALACE OF CASERTA
ITS SPLENDOR AND PASSIONATE COURT INTRIGUE
The Royal Palace of Caserta is one of the largest, most evocative and sparkling royal residences in the world.
Considered the Italian Versailles, it is a jewel belonging to the Unesco Heritage Treasury capable of enchanting everyone with the beauty of its interiors and the magnificence of its outdoor spaces.
A visit that will also allow us to learn more about the Bourbon royal family: the intrigues and the "messes" that accompany the story of one of the most controversial royal families.
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Maria.
THE WONDERS OF VILLA CARLOTTA
A GEM OF THE GRAND TOUR ON LAKE COMO
Which is the lake villa with breathtaking views of the Lario? The most fascinating house museum? And the best botanical garden, rich in rare flowers and plants?
Well, the answer is always the same: Villa Carlotta on Lake Como.
This tour will be a compelling journey into the beauty that characterizes one of the most amazing sceneries in Italy, dotted by exclusive celebs houses and historical buildings, among which stands out the summer residence of Princess Federica Luisa Guglielmina Marianna Carlotta from Prussia.
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Morena.
THE MONUMENTAL CEMENTERY OF MILAN
"LOVE AND DEATH" AT THE MONUMENTAL CEMENTERY
The Monumental Cemetery of Milan is considered an open-air museum where extraordinary artworks are intertwined with the public and private life of the great Milanese families.
Art and memory is an inseparable bond, like that between love and the pain of loss that unites the deads to their dears.
Amor omnia vincit is the red thread of this virtual tour to discover love declined in all its forms, in couples, filial, brotherly, philanthropic, ideal love and much more, as the supreme response to death, through the works and characters that we will virtually meet at the cemetery.
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Morena.
THE DUOMO OF MILAN
STORY OF A HUGE PINK MARBLE LACEWORK
There is a church in Milan that stands out among all the others for its height, grandeur and beauty. That’s the Duomo!
The cathedral made of Candoglia marble that shines with sweet peach-colored reflections at sunset, adorned with spires, statues, gargoyles and stained glass windows on which stands the golden Madonnina.
A spectacular building, whose construction took 600 years and which still needs maniacal care and maintenance ... a story to discover!
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Morena.
VILLA NECCHI CAMPIGLIO
A GEM OF MILANESE ARCHITECTURE
Immersed in a large private garden with swimming pool and tennis court in the center of Milan, Villa Necchi Campiglio was completed in 1935.
The project was designed by architect Piero Portaluppi, commissioned by the Necchi Campiglio family, a curios trio, members of the rich and elegant industrial bourgeoisie of Milan in the thirties.
A family whose personal life, taste, ambitions and friendships we can reconstruct through this virtual walk in their splendid residence, discovering the private rooms and lifestyle
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Morena.
THE SAVOIA FAMILY COURT
VENARIA REALE PALACE AND STUPINIGI ROYAL HUNTING LODGE
Every European royal family used to build its own dwelling for leisure and hunting, showing nobility through architecture.
In 1563 Turin was the capital of the Duchy of Savoia family. The Savoia’s identify themselves through the extraordinary architectural complex that is all now a Unesco heritage since 1997.
Both buildings are masterpieces of the royal architect Filippo Juvarra, undisputed director of an outstanding project of magnificence.
Visits will be presented by the local guide Emanuela.
CASTELLO AND THE ARSENALE
THE HEART OF VENETIAN POWER
One of the six districts of Venice, Castello started as little more than a swamp until the area was reclaimed and widened when the Arsenal – the Venetian State Shipyard – was established at its edge in the early 13th C.
Almost 3000 shipbuilders lived in the vicinity and as a result, Castello is different: small, humble homes (instead of palaces!), narrow backstreets, old wells, washing hanging on lines...it's genuine, laid-back and quaint.
Situated right outside the grand entrance of the Arsenal, The Naval Museum is very worth a visit to understand how it all functioned: old maps of the city, models of galleys, traditional boats, the Bucintoro, Peggy Guggenheim's gondola…and more!
Visits will be presented by the local guide Laura.
VENETIAN HOMES
A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF ARCHITECTURE
Venetian architecture is quite unique; a combination of different styles derived from the relationship this maritime state had, especially with the East.
The palaces, the abodes of wealthy merchants, still stand in all their beauty and grandeur. However, they offer not just a beautiful surface...they were designed to be extremely practical too.
Let me take you to learn about the development of Venetian buildings, how they could be built on marshes, how they evolved over time, and how they functioned from mere huts to grand monuments!
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Laura.
LIDO AND THE BELLE EPOQUE
THE URBAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIDO
In addition to being my home, Lido is one of the three barrier islands that protect and separate Venice and her lagoon from the open sea.
Lido remained a rather deserted island for centuries and everything changed towards the end of the 19th C when science and medicine understood the benefits of sun and sea therapy. The island became the object of a very interesting and graceful urban development with hotels, residential villas built in Liberty style (the Italian equivalent of Art Nouveau), cafès and restaurants, attracting an elite of travellers who spent the whole summer there.
Thomas Mann left a memorable portrait of those years in his novel Death in Venice, later a movie by Luchino Visconti. An interesting page of history, an invitation to learn about a reality so close to Venice and yet so different.
Visits will be presented by local tourist guide Laura.
THE SCROVEGNI CHAPEL
GIOTTO’S ART FROM 13TH CENTURY IN PADOVA
Through this visit we will get to know and understand how Giotto lived the age of the 13th century made of intellectual and artistic liberties and introduced the 14th century art
We will understand the great innovations he introduced in the painting art and also how some of those revolutions still inspire modern art. The guided visit will also show some of the mistakes Giotto made when testing techniques and colors. An interesting comparison will show us this masterpiece before and after the restorations ended in 2002.
Last but not least, we will also admire what else decorates the chapel, even if not painted by Giotto and for this reason not shown enough.
Visits will be presented by Prof. Casetta.