Category: ITALY
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1930s MILANO villa necchi campiglio
selected leading Milan Architect Piero Portaluppi (1888-1967) who was already building several residences in the neighbourhood. With a distinctive career in architecture, city planning, decorative arts, restoration, exhibition display as well as writing and teaching. Portaluppi was well established and considered brilliant and creative.
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MILAN fornasetti
As a longtime fan of Fornasetti’s work, I could not visit Milan without a visit to Fornasetti HQ and Showroom on Courso Venezia. Bold, whimsical and distinctive – Fornasetti’s work has held appeal since the 1980’s and in 2013 an Exhibit titled “100 Years of Practical Madness” was held at the Milan Triennale Design Museum…
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MILAN poldi pezzoli MUSEO
his former private Palazzo from the 17th century, now Museo, is located on Via Manzoni, Milan (near Teatro alla Scala) is the private collection of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822-1879) who was the last heir of the possessions of two prominent families.
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MILAN bagatti valsecchi
Villa Bagatti Valsecchi. A mansion located between Via Gesu and Via Santo Spirito in Milan, Barons Fausto and Giuseppe Bagatti Valsecchi’s extraordinary collections showcasing their love for the past and the Italian Renaissance
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Sicilian Aristocratic Villa Garden
This beautiful Villa and garden have been in the San Guiliano family for over 800 years. The estate includes the chapel, below, a South American inspired garden from a stay in Brazil, and groves of citrus and olives. I liked this section of blue, great shape and texture. Head gardener Rachel Lamb was kind to…
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Taormina, Sicily + Mt. Etna
How thrilling to be standing in a Greek Theater from the third century B.C., overlooking Mt. Etna and the Ionian Sea and Taromina. Aside from the spectacular views, the Teatro Greco is still used for events to this day, crews were setting up stages around ruins while I was there. Taormina is a pretty historic…
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two VILLAS in RAVELLO, Amalfi Coast
Villa Cimbrone in RAVELLO, high on the Amalfi Coast, offers spectacular panoramic views, from the part of the estate appropriately called The Terrace of Infinity… The estate dates to the eleventh century, but after years of abandonment, English traveller Ernest William Beckett, Lord Grimthorpe, purchased and began restoration in 1904. Vita Sackville West was a…
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Ninfa Gardens, Sermoneta Italy
With over 160 varieties of roses and 1300 ornamental trees, the beautiful Ninfa Gardens have been called both the most romantic and the best in the world. Located two hours southeast of Rome, Ninfa also has a tragic past. Papal civil wars in the 14th century lead to Emperor Barborossa ordering the small town and…
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Villa d’ESTE Tivoli, garden tour
Villa d’Este was Built in the 1550’s by Ipolito d’Este, grandson to Cardinal Borgia. It is famous for its water features, as Ipolito hired French engineers for the hydrolics as well as arranged withe the local people to use the river in exchange for clean water. Over twenty fountains and several grottos make up this…
Decorata Design 