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Nervi, Italy is home to a beautiful coastline and the perfect place to get away from the busy Italian life. With a mountain to its back and the ocean in the front, Nervi offers a setting for everyone. On my most recent excursion to this Italian getaway, I found a unique adaptation to an old favorite. Along the coastline path are many benches for the spectators to rest. A certain number of these benches have the ability to be changed so that you can face either direction. The benches are easy to adjust as can be seen in this video of my sister using the bench. One direction gives you a view of the boardwalk. While looking this way you can see people eating at outdoor restaurants, children playing, and people having a relaxing walk along the seaside path. The other direction gives you a view of the expansive Mediterranean Sea. While looking this way you can see boats in the distance, people kayaking, and, as was seen on my last trip, a scuba diver. These benches allow the visitor to fully experience Nervi and it's beautiful surroundings while relaxing at the same time! Amy Altman
The Cathedral of Naples (also known as the Duomo) is the main church in Naples, Italy. The church was began as a Gothic church in 1315 but over the years, many changes have taken place. The church was commissioned by King Charles I of Anjou and was completed during the reign of Robert of Anjou. The church was built on the remains of two palaeo-Christian cathedrals, one of which, the Basilica of St. Restituta, is still accessible. The church is dedicated to San Gennaro, the city's patron, and holds a vial of the Saint's blood in the Chapel of San Gennaro. The blood is brought out twice a year (the first Saturday in May and the 19th of September) and usually liquefies. If the blood does not liquefy, according to legend, something bad will happen in Naples. Also in the Chapel of San Gennaro are several pieces of artwork including frescoes by Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco, altarpieces by Domenichino, Massimo Stanzione, and Jusepe Ribera, and bronze railing by Cosimo Fanzago. Amy Altman
The Ponte di Rialto (or Rialto Bridge) is the oldest and most famous bridge spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Initially built in 1250 as a timber bridge to cross to the Rialto market on the eastern bank, today, this bridge has become an icon to the city. The first wooden bridge was a simple structure composed of two inclined ramps meeting at a moveable central section that could be raised for large ships to pass through. In the first half of the 15th century, two rows of shops were built along the sides of the bridge, whose income helped with the maintenance of the bridge. In 1444, the bridge collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade, and it collapsed again in 1524. Finally, in 1551, Italian authorities requested proposals for the renewal of the bridge, and Antonio da Ponte beat out other architects such as Palladio, Vignola, and even Michaelangelo for the project. The present stone bridge was completed in 1591, and it is remarkably similar to the original wooden bridge with its single span flanked by boutiques.
Sara Anrrich
For centuries, the world-renowned island of Murano in Venice, Italy has been famous for producing colorful, elaborate, and skillfully made glass. Murano’s reputation in glassmaking was born in 1921, when the Venetian Republic ordered all glassmakers to move out of Venice for fear of fire and destruction to the city’s mostly wood buildings. Since then, these artisans have developed or refined many techniques, including the production of crystalline glass, enameled glass, glass with threads of gold, multicolored glass, milk glass, and imitation gemstones made of glass. Visitors to the island can witness the glassmakers still employing the century-old techniques to produce everything from contemporary glass art and jewelry to chandeliers, wine stoppers, and other house-wares. The island can be easily reached by public water-bus, where visitors can enjoy an afternoon visiting the Museo Vetrario (Glass Museum), shopping in the many boutiques along the canals, and watching glassblowers at work.
Sara Anrrich
