VARENNA, LAGO DI COMO, ITALIA

October 31- November 1, 2015
Lake Como was on our list of must see places for most of our time in Italy and we couldn't leave without a visit. After looking into several beautiful towns we finally decided on Varenna for Halloween weekend and we brought along our friends, Rich, Michelle and Dom. 

Napping during the photo: Dominic 

Varenna is a compact town with ferry access to many of the other beautiful towns along Lake Como. The bright buildings tightly line the hills that cascade into the lake while narrow stairs lead visitors from the upper area to the passerella [boardwalk] along the water. There is not much to do in Varenna, but it is a wonderful little place to spend a relaxing weekend hanging around and taking in the views. Some sights worth seeing are Villa Monestero, Castello di Vezio, S. Giovanni Battista, Saint Giorgio, Chiesa di San Giorgio and Chiesa die Santi Nazaro E Celso. Or, if you are like us, you sit in the sun while overlooking the lake and sipping on some wine.

I had thought that we could maybe take the ferry over to Bellagio but we ended up staying in Varenna and then heading to Lecco the next day. I suppose Bellagio will be saved for our next trip to Italy.

Driving around the lake

Autumn colors everywhere

Varenna waterfront

Varenna waterfront

Contemplating playing in the water

Never stops begging

<3 Illy espresso

Gelato per favore!

Sunset

View from our rental

View from our rental

View from our rental

Sunset from our rental

Sunset from our rental

Autumn

Villa Monastero

Lecco was a quick stop on our way back to Vicenza. It is a larger, more modern city along the eastern waterfront of Lake Como. It grew during the Industrial Revolution during the 18th century and is an important Italian industrial center.

The city is surrounded by picturesque mountains and is full of monuments, both ancient and modern. Lecco is known to have been loved by many artists and architects and was mentioned in the novel I Promessi Sposi by Manzoni. I found the city to be nice, but not as pretty as Varenna. They were having an art festival on the day that we visited, with booths set up along the waterfront. Autumn on Lake Como is definitely beautiful! 

Lecco

VILLA BADOER, FRATTA POLESINE, ITALIA

October 29, 2015
In the heart of the town of Fratta Polesine is another villa designed by Andrea Palladio, Villa Badoer. The elevated villa was built in 1556 on the site of a Medieval castle, located near a canal which was once used as a passage connecting the villa to Venice and Ferrara.

The main building features columns in the Ionic order, while the other buildings have columns in the Tuscan order. The interior plan is arranged in the typical Palladian fashion, but unfortunately I wasn't able to see the interior of the main building first hand as it was closed when I was visiting. An interesting aspect of the design are the curvilinear barchesse [service buildings], which were drawn in several other Palladian designs but only fully constructed here. The form of the barchesse were to symbolize the feeling of being welcomed with open arms.

The villa is also full of frescoes painted by Giallo Fiorentino

My cousin Caroline was in town for a visit and joined me at the villa. We first walked through the museum and then along the property. It was a nice stop on a rainy Italian day.

SAN DONA DI PIAVE, ITALIA

Town Hall/Palace of Reclamation Consortium

October 18, 2015
It was a free weekend in Italy and we decided to try and find somewhere new to visit. We looked online and headed towards San Dona di Piave, a small area east of Vicenza. There wasn't much to see, but it kept us busy on a cooler, cover cast day.

The town is located in the Veneto-Friuli Plain, along the Piave River, and was the scene of some major fighting during WWI. Later, in 1944, the city was bombed several times, destroying the theater, hospital and many other building.

Aviator and war hero Giannino Ancillotto

Aviator and war hero Giannino Ancillotto

Corso Silvio Trentin

Duomo di Santa Maria delle Grazie [below] is a neoclassical cathedral originally built in the second half of the fifteenth century. It was then rebuilt between 1838-1841, then reconstructed between 1919-1923 after it was badly damaged during WWII.

Duomo di Santa Maria delle Grazie

Sculpture park in Architecture [below]

This is a city park. I thought that it might have been a little bit larger, but it was interesting none-the-less. It is internationally known by lovers of art and architecture and includes installations and sculptures from Aldo Rossi, Bruno Munari, Sol LeWitt and many others.