Looking for architecture, paintings, castles, etc
May 18th, 2015, 10:13 AM
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Looking for architecture, paintings, castles, etc
Hi everyone, I am planning a trip for this Summer or Fall (probably Fall so I can miss the other tourists and long lines). I am interested in:
- Sight seeing.
- Architecture (mostly castles, but not necessarily limited to just that).
- Art (my favorite style is renaissance paintings, portraits, things like that; I am not very interested in modern art or ancient artifacts, etc).
- I would also enjoy visiting a nice park if the city happens to have one, similar to Central Park in NYC. This is also why I enjoy large castles with beautiful gardens.
Some of the places I am considering: Florence, Rome, Athens, Paris, England, Transylvania, and maybe Washington DC (a friend recommended DC's museums, but I am leaning towards somewhere in Europe).
I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for me, either out of the places I've suggested or somewhere else that I haven't considered yet? Thanks in advance
- Sight seeing.
- Architecture (mostly castles, but not necessarily limited to just that).
- Art (my favorite style is renaissance paintings, portraits, things like that; I am not very interested in modern art or ancient artifacts, etc).
- I would also enjoy visiting a nice park if the city happens to have one, similar to Central Park in NYC. This is also why I enjoy large castles with beautiful gardens.
Some of the places I am considering: Florence, Rome, Athens, Paris, England, Transylvania, and maybe Washington DC (a friend recommended DC's museums, but I am leaning towards somewhere in Europe).
I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for me, either out of the places I've suggested or somewhere else that I haven't considered yet? Thanks in advance
May 18th, 2015, 11:14 AM
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I've only been to Greece once, and didn't see much, as it was a short visit; and I've never been to Romania, so I'll leave those countries to others.
The castle was originally a purely military construction, with no gardens around it. Some castles evolved into aristocratic residences, and, especially in the UK and France, they often acquired large and beautiful gardens. In Italy, the landscape garden is found mostly at large villas, which are not the same thing as castles. In Italy, I can't think of a single castle (of which Italy has many) that is surrounded by beautiful gardens. I'm not saying there aren't any, just that none comes to mind.
London has some large and beautiful parks right in the center of the city, such as Regent's Park, Hyde Park, Green Park, and others. Paris also has many large parks, but most of them are not quite as central as those in London. The Luxembourg Gardens and the Jardin des Plantes are very central, but not as large as Central Park. In both the UK and France, you'll find large parks in many cities, and in the countryside you'll find many castles or chateaux with large gardens that can be visited. There are just too many to mention. You really need to get a guide book.
In Rome, the Villa Borghese and the Villa Doria Pamphilj are large parks that are partly landscaped and partly used for recreation, like Central Park.
In London, the National Gallery is the best place for Renaissance paintings; the National Portrait Gallery is obviously great for portraits. In Paris, I would suggest the Louvre for Renaissance paintings, and also portraits. In Rome, the best museum for Renaissance paintings is the Barberini Gallery, along with its sister museum, the Corsini Gallery. In Florence, the Uffizi is a huge museum with an unbelievable collection of Renaissance painting. In Venice, the Accademia has a great collection of Renaissance painting. In all three of these cities, and all over the country, some of the best Renaissance art is in churches. Florence has probably the world's greatest concentration of Renaissance art, as it was really the cradle of the Renaissance. It could take you weeks to see it all.
September and most of October are high season in Italy. If you want to avoid crowds, November is a great month; February and March (before Easter) are also good.
The castle was originally a purely military construction, with no gardens around it. Some castles evolved into aristocratic residences, and, especially in the UK and France, they often acquired large and beautiful gardens. In Italy, the landscape garden is found mostly at large villas, which are not the same thing as castles. In Italy, I can't think of a single castle (of which Italy has many) that is surrounded by beautiful gardens. I'm not saying there aren't any, just that none comes to mind.
London has some large and beautiful parks right in the center of the city, such as Regent's Park, Hyde Park, Green Park, and others. Paris also has many large parks, but most of them are not quite as central as those in London. The Luxembourg Gardens and the Jardin des Plantes are very central, but not as large as Central Park. In both the UK and France, you'll find large parks in many cities, and in the countryside you'll find many castles or chateaux with large gardens that can be visited. There are just too many to mention. You really need to get a guide book.
In Rome, the Villa Borghese and the Villa Doria Pamphilj are large parks that are partly landscaped and partly used for recreation, like Central Park.
In London, the National Gallery is the best place for Renaissance paintings; the National Portrait Gallery is obviously great for portraits. In Paris, I would suggest the Louvre for Renaissance paintings, and also portraits. In Rome, the best museum for Renaissance paintings is the Barberini Gallery, along with its sister museum, the Corsini Gallery. In Florence, the Uffizi is a huge museum with an unbelievable collection of Renaissance painting. In Venice, the Accademia has a great collection of Renaissance painting. In all three of these cities, and all over the country, some of the best Renaissance art is in churches. Florence has probably the world's greatest concentration of Renaissance art, as it was really the cradle of the Renaissance. It could take you weeks to see it all.
September and most of October are high season in Italy. If you want to avoid crowds, November is a great month; February and March (before Easter) are also good.
May 18th, 2015, 12:23 PM
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Castle construction in Italy was a safe place to store valuables, including people, crops and livestock, in times of seige. They were typically built in farming areas, and most are still surrounded by farms. Most land in Italy is considered too valuable for food and wine production to turn into flower gardens -- and still is. Also, with few exceptions, English and French-style flower gardens tend to burn up in Italy because of the strong sun.
But while Italy's castles may not have flower gardens, many of are still set in fantastic farming settings, particularly in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Piemonte, where the wine or local food was so valuable, it needed to be locked up.
http://joelbpayne.com/images/Gallery...i%20Brolio.jpg
http://www.castellodigabiano.com/it/images/bg_cast1.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/de2f681c1...m4go1_1280.jpg
However, with the exception of the richly decorated castle interiors of Emilia-Romagna, most rural castles have very uninteresting architectural features. If you are interested in touring fancy castles with gardens, you need to go to other parts of Europe.
However, the church architecture of Italy is a fantastic substitute, and in many ways. churches are meant to be palaces and castles where all the weather is sacrificed is to the deity, rather than a greedy human being. The church architecture of Italy exhibits fascinating ideas and tremendous engineering skill, plus much of it is filled with astonshing renaissance painting and sculpture.
More than visiting museums to see Reniassance artwork, it is more interesting to see it in the churches and the palaces for which artists created it.
By the way, the Florentine Renaissance is only one type of European Renaissance. Florence was the most important impetus for the development of these ideas, but they very quickly spread and took on a life of their own throughout Italy and Europe.
But while Italy's castles may not have flower gardens, many of are still set in fantastic farming settings, particularly in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Piemonte, where the wine or local food was so valuable, it needed to be locked up.
http://joelbpayne.com/images/Gallery...i%20Brolio.jpg
http://www.castellodigabiano.com/it/images/bg_cast1.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/de2f681c1...m4go1_1280.jpg
However, with the exception of the richly decorated castle interiors of Emilia-Romagna, most rural castles have very uninteresting architectural features. If you are interested in touring fancy castles with gardens, you need to go to other parts of Europe.
However, the church architecture of Italy is a fantastic substitute, and in many ways. churches are meant to be palaces and castles where all the weather is sacrificed is to the deity, rather than a greedy human being. The church architecture of Italy exhibits fascinating ideas and tremendous engineering skill, plus much of it is filled with astonshing renaissance painting and sculpture.
More than visiting museums to see Reniassance artwork, it is more interesting to see it in the churches and the palaces for which artists created it.
By the way, the Florentine Renaissance is only one type of European Renaissance. Florence was the most important impetus for the development of these ideas, but they very quickly spread and took on a life of their own throughout Italy and Europe.
May 18th, 2015, 12:33 PM
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I wanted to add that the great urban public parks like Central Park are a later-day development in Europe, and Paris and London of the greatest examples of this grand public landscape architecture to be democratically enjoyed by everybody, not just the rich, and to give urban workers a renewed contact with nature after farming was industrialized and people were forced to move to cities. Some of these great parks of Paris and London are made up of parcles of land confiscated from royalty, or donated, and a few were designed, like Central Park, to preserve green space in the face of rampant real estate development. Many other capital cities of Europe also have extensive green spaces very well used by their publics for recreation. The Englischer gardens in Munich jump to mind, modeled after the great landscape architecture of England's public spaces. It is larger than Central Park.
May 18th, 2015, 12:42 PM
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Your budget may decide your destination. It's certainly cheaper to go to Washington DC if you live in the US than it is to go to Europe. Your requirements are sufficiently general that many (maybe most) major cities in Europe could fulfill them, though in different ways.
We visited Chateau Vincennes of the edge of Paris last year, which I would think would be of interest to anyone interested in architecture. The whole building is held together by a single column. The place is very evocative, as it's mostly in original condition, so you have a session of how people in the castle lived. Like many castles you might visit, it has no furnishings.
We visited Chateau Vincennes of the edge of Paris last year, which I would think would be of interest to anyone interested in architecture. The whole building is held together by a single column. The place is very evocative, as it's mostly in original condition, so you have a session of how people in the castle lived. Like many castles you might visit, it has no furnishings.
May 18th, 2015, 01:04 PM
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Some tourists sites are worthwhile and should be dismissed in an off-handed manner.
Sorry I omitted the word not.
Some tourists sites are worthwhile and should NOT be dismissed in an off-handed manner.
Sorry I omitted the word not.
Some tourists sites are worthwhile and should NOT be dismissed in an off-handed manner.
May 18th, 2015, 01:17 PM
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Thank you for the replies so far. I would like to add one clarification, and that is that I am not planning to visit all of these places in the same trip, but rather am trying to choose one city to visit.
May 18th, 2015, 01:53 PM
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I always thought that the city that provided my best art education of all time was Florence. The Uffizi Museum itself is the story of the Renaissance (the rebirth of art).
And then there are so many other museums in Florence one can visit between what we still consider to be the best gelaterias in all of Europe. In the Accademia, just seeing the "real" David blows your socks off.
The architecture that went with all this art(Brunelleschi's Dome)is fascinating too. There are parks in Florence, but the best if you are within the city limits will probably the Boboli gardens.
Just a minimal trek from that city are Siena, Lucca and Pisa. Everyone makes fun of visiting the touristy Tower of Pisa, but the entire "Field of Miracles" in which it is located actually took our breath away.
But for another city that is what you describe, it's Rome.
Let me give you this link just to get you started:
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...or-spaces-rome
Have fun planning,
AZ
And then there are so many other museums in Florence one can visit between what we still consider to be the best gelaterias in all of Europe. In the Accademia, just seeing the "real" David blows your socks off.
The architecture that went with all this art(Brunelleschi's Dome)is fascinating too. There are parks in Florence, but the best if you are within the city limits will probably the Boboli gardens.
Just a minimal trek from that city are Siena, Lucca and Pisa. Everyone makes fun of visiting the touristy Tower of Pisa, but the entire "Field of Miracles" in which it is located actually took our breath away.
But for another city that is what you describe, it's Rome.
Let me give you this link just to get you started:
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...or-spaces-rome
Have fun planning,
AZ
May 18th, 2015, 09:01 PM
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Naples (Italy) has three castles (four if you count the one at Baia just north of Naples), it has sumptuous art museums - the Capodimonte is truly astonishing and you may have it all to yourself. Bonus is, this Capodimonte museum is in an enormous park so you get the best of both worlds.
May 18th, 2015, 11:39 PM
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I don't think Greece is what you are looking for. We only have Medieval castles, lots of them, but you know like walls towers and that's it. No gardens or Renaissance stuff. And if you don't like ancient history (oh god) then why even bother coming in Athens, which is the capital of ancient European culture? Yes Athens has a park similar to Central Park (kinda), the National Gardens, you won't come to a city just for a park, right? I think Florence is exactly what you are looking for. This is the capital of Renaissance and has the kind of castles you looking for.
Jul 1st, 2015, 05:58 AM
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Transylvania too is a must see. Starting with famous Dracula Castle, up to Corvin Castle, Peles, Pelisor, Banffy, Cisnadioara, Carta Monastery, Fortified Churches. For sighseeing I totally recommend Brasov, Sibiu, Sighisoara, Cluj and all the transylvanian villages where rural life is as it used to be (Viscri, Malancrav, Richis).
If you want me to I can put you in contact with different locals from Transylvania. (just PM me).
If you want me to I can put you in contact with different locals from Transylvania. (just PM me).
Jul 1st, 2015, 04:12 PM
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>>If you want me to I can put you in contact with different locals from Transylvania. (just PM me).<<
Welcome to Fodors AdinaM. You may not have noticed but there is no PM feature on Fodors. If you want to give info/advice you need to post it on the forums (<i>unless</i> you want to advertise something -- which isn't allowed)
Welcome to Fodors AdinaM. You may not have noticed but there is no PM feature on Fodors. If you want to give info/advice you need to post it on the forums (<i>unless</i> you want to advertise something -- which isn't allowed)
Jul 2nd, 2015, 12:55 AM
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Lol, janisj, that sounds exactly like an attempt to advertise. On forums that do allow PMs, the function is often abused. I would much rather get information on an open forum where other posters can see it, and can correct erroneous information.
Jul 7th, 2015, 03:21 AM
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If you want to enjoy your trip with lots of contrasts...Welcome to Rhodes island,Greece!!!
Ancient Greek Architecture, Castles of Knights of Rhodes, Parks, Mountains and Beaches and beautiful Bays will make you fell in love with that beautiful Island!
Ancient Greek Architecture, Castles of Knights of Rhodes, Parks, Mountains and Beaches and beautiful Bays will make you fell in love with that beautiful Island!
Jul 12th, 2015, 08:38 AM
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You can find lots of Medieval castles in the Peloponnese and on Rhodes in Greece.
Here are some images.
Peloponesse Battle Castles https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645468134284/
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094108982/
Lindos and Rhodes http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634754696058/
Here are some images.
Peloponesse Battle Castles https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr...7645468134284/
Nafplio and Peloponnese http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7632094108982/
Lindos and Rhodes http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbr5...7634754696058/
