PIEDMONT AND ITS CASTLES

A few kilometres from Spinetta Marengo. This village is the birthplace of Pope Pius V who built in 1566 the superb religious complex of Santa Croce, consisting of an admirably decorated church (with the remarkable canvases painted by Vasari) and a convent.

This town was built on the right bank of the river Po, at the foot of the first hill of the Monferrato area, in the middle of a famous wine-making region, and is one of the most interesting cities of Piedmont for is artistic significance. In the historic centre of the city you can find wonderful examples of Gothic, Romanesque and Medieval style and many buildings of the 17th century, ancient military stronghold of the Marches of the Monferrato. We recommend a visit to the cathedral, the Baroque church of S. Filippo Neri, the Synagogue which houses an important Jewish museum, the palace of Anna d’Alencon and the Civic Tower.

A true jewel, located at the foot of the Alps, s surrounded by elegant villas form the 19th century. In the centre of the lake rises the Island of San Giulio, which houses a beautiful basilica whose foundation dates back to the IV century.

A city of ancient history, included in the UNESCO world heritage, and the capital of the Piedmont Region. It is one of the largest university, artistic, tourist, scientific and cultural centres in Italy. Embellished by the different ages it has lived through, the city gathers excellences of different styles and conceptions, from romanesque to medieval, from renaissance to baroque, from neoclassical to liberty. There are also many important buildings which belonged to the Savoia family, like the Royal Palace, and the Madama and Carignano Palaces. It is bathed by the river Po that separates the historic centre from the aristocratic skyline of Turin’s hills.

Overlooking the Ligurian Sea, the city of Genoa dominates the homonymous gulf, whose maritime and trade traditions are tightly connected to the city. Its port is the largest Italian port in surface area. For over eight centuries the capital of the homonymous republic, Genoa was quoted with the names of “La Superba” (The Superb) and “La Dominante” (The Dominant). Its cultural richness in history, art, literature, music and cuisine has enabled it to become the European Capital of Culture in 2004. Praised by poets and famous characters of all nationalities such as Oscar Wilde, Gustave Flaubert, George Gordon Byron, Genoa was described by Francesco Petrarca as “regal, lying on an alpine hill, superb for its men and walls”. Its views earned it the title of “The Lady of the Sea“.