Tag Archive | "italy"
Italy’s Drowned Village
Legend has it the bell can still be heard in the dead of winter, sounding out its knell despite the fact that it has long since been removed. The bell tower of the 14th century church that projects from Lake Reschen in the far north of Italy is all that is now visible of the once thriving village of Graun. In the middle of the last century, the town was drowned by the artificial lake that lies above it to this day.
Continue reading...Italy’s Park of Monsters
Monday, September 28, 2009
Shaded by trees and lightly cloaked in a patina of moss, the massive stone figures stare down at the awestruck visitors. What kind of garden features the screaming face of a terrible ogre that’s like a doorway to hell, a mythical giant hero literally tearing his foe from limb to limb, one of Hannibal’s elephants goring a legionnaire, and a Siren straddling the ground? You may well ask. The answer is the Park of the Monsters, an amazing monumental complex tucked away 65km north of Rome.
Continue reading...Mount Vesuvius Erupting in 1944
Monday, August 24, 2009
It was 1944 and the Second World War was raging. In Italy, American airmen were stationed at Pompeii Airfield when the debris started falling, but this was no ordinary wartime air raid. The cinder and rock dropping from the sky were being sent forth by the volcano dominating the horizon: Mount Vesuvius. Overhead, bombers wheeled in the air, their pilots’ minds turning from the threat of flack to an altogether more pervasive menace.
Continue reading...The Enthralling Symmetry of Beach Umbrellas
Friday, July 3, 2009
A day at the beach: people, beach towels, chairs, sand, the smell of sun tan lotion, sea, sun and beach umbrellas. What seems like random beach activity is actually quite an organised environment, from colours to chairs to those saviours of the pale – the beach umbrellas whose arrangements structure life at the beach. See for yourself how the whole beach experience has become less haphazard and more picturesque.
Continue reading...The Hillscapes of the Cinque Terre
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
With summer just around the corner, it’s time again to think about where to spend one’s vacation. One region’s photos have been all over the Internet yet it gets misrepresented frequently. We’re talking about Cinque Terre in northern Italy, not one town but five in the province of La Spezia in Liguria, famous for its scenic beauty, colourful houses and much more. Time to set the record straight.
Continue reading...Giant Plastic Animals Appear Across Europe [Pics]
Monday, April 20, 2009
![Giant Plastic Animals Appear Across Europe [Pics]](http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/43984/2380224670104178106S600x600Q85.jpg)
Since 1983, colourful giant animals have been spotted emerging right out of the water, while others hang in the balance like some kind of animal laundry between close-knit buildings. Created using recycled plastic bottles by Cracking Art Group, these amazing animals represent the art collective's strong social and environmental ethic while bringing accessible contemporary art to the masses.
Continue reading...Calcio Fiorentino: The Manliest Game On Earth
Friday, April 10, 2009
Calcio Fiorentino is definitely the sort of game you would have been tempted to forget your gym shorts for while you were in high school. This is a man’s game, make no mistake, played by the manliest of men in Italy. Like a primitive forefather of football and rugby, combined with no-holds-barred martial arts, Calcio Fiorentino was a bruiser from the day it was born in the 16th Century. Astonishingly it continues to be played to this day. One word sums it up: brutal.
Continue reading...5 Picturesque Infernos: Fumaroles From Around The Globe
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The volcanic vents known as fumaroles have serious associations, often lying on active volcanoes in times of comparative quiet between eruptions. These smouldering fissures in the earth are visible emitting hot steam and volcanic gasses in places as far and wide as Italy, Indonesia, Hawaii, Yellowstone and Iceland. With their fizzing, more than faintly menacing behaviour, it’s easy to see why fumaroles are shrouded in myth and legend.
Continue reading...Milano Santa Monica: An Eco-City Within a City
Monday, January 12, 2009
Long famed for its legendary fashion houses, Milan soon hopes to be known as a cutting-edge leader in yet another area of design: green communities. Come 2013, the bustling metropolitan area will be home to Milano Santa Monica, a two million square metre green space that will feature 2,000 apartments alongside schools, shops and sporting facilities.
Continue reading...Divine Intervention [PIC]
Friday, October 10, 2008
![Divine Intervention [PIC]](http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/41645/2041074680102347975S600x600Q85.jpg)
As we search and scour the vast realms of the inter-tubes, we often find real photographic gems like this one. Entitled “Air Traffic Control” this incredible image was taken by Flickr user Pensiero. As far as we know the statue stands in Rome, however, we’re not exactly sure where.
Continue reading...
Monday, November 2, 2009
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