A Guide to Venetian Gothic Churches and Palazzos
Venetian architecture doesn’t follow the same patterns as anywhere else. Nothing illustrates this better than the city’s most iconic style, which goes by the rather…
Temple of Hercules Victor: The Oldest Building in Rome
The oldest building in Rome doesn’t call much attention to itself. For a culture which showed the world how to build big, it’s rather petite….
Staying in Ischia's Castello Aragonese
Ancient Greeks associated the islands in the Bay of Naples with the Sirens. Today Ischia is famed more for the restorative powers of its volcanic…
The Architecture of Naples' Historic Center
Piazza Dante at dawn: the street sweeper shot across the square, veering off a wall at the last second, then sped over to a lamppost,…
Sanfelice’s Rococo Palazzos in Naples’ Rione Sanità
Can any site embody a city, especially one as architecturally rich as Naples? If so, our candidate would be a pair of staircases in the…
History of the Alhambra's Paradisal Gardens and Courtyards
Inspired by paradise itself, Granada’s Alhambra holds the power to transport us from the cares of the outside world. In spite of being photographed thousands…
Moorish Architecture and Views in Granada’s Albaicín District
When asked to picture Granada, most people conjure visions of the Alhambra. But the city’s historic heart has always been the Albaicín (or Albayzín). For…
Visiting Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia Towers
The Sagrada Familia may be Antoni Gaudí’s most famous building, but only a fraction of it was completed during his lifetime. The Nativity facade and…
A Guide to Toledo’s Historic Architecture
Our hotel proprietress assured us that “Toledo is most beautiful at night.” We don’t disagree – it’s just that we loved dusk, dawn, and daytime,…