EUHeritageTOUR-TourGuide-Basic-EN

TheEUHeritageTOUR Guide 

Basic 

co-funded by

Colophon 

© The EUHeritageTOUR Consortium — 

The Coordinator: X23 Ltd, Rome - Italy 

Giuseppe Laquidara 1 , M. Mazzi Boém 1 , M. Colombani 1 , 

F. Marano 2 , Jill Cousins 3 , N. Emmenegger 3 , M. Ioannides 4 , 

J. Portugal 5 , E. Perez Babo 5 , J. Santos 6 , G. Ablasser 7 , 

P. König 7 , M. Socratous 8 

1 X23 Ltd., Consortium Coordinator 

Giuseppe Laquidara, PhD - CEO - Giuseppe.Laquidara@x-23.org 

Artificial intelligence, Physics and Cybernetics, Non-linear Systems 

via del Consolato, 6 00186 Rome, Italy 

5 uaternaire Portugal Ltd. 

Rua Tomàs Ribeiro, 412 - 2°, 4450-295 Matasinhos, Morada, Portugal 

6 Alentejo Tourism ERT 

Praça da Repùblica, 12 1°, Apartado 355, 7800-427 Beja, Portugal 

7 City of Graz 

Rathous, Hauptplatz 1, 8010 Graz, Austria 

8 Cyprus Tourism Organization 

2 University of Salerno 

DSCPS - Department of Communication, Social Sciences and Politics Sciences 

DI - Department of Informatics 

Scientific Campus — Fisciano, Salerno 

viale Giovanni Paolo II, 84084 Salerno 

19, Lemesos Avenue - 2112 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus 

3 Europeana Foundation 

National Library of the Netherlands 

PO Box 90407 2509 LK The Hague 

4 Cyprus University of Technology 

Department of Electrical Eng, Computer Eng. and Informatics 

Digital Heritage Research Laboratory 

Arch. Kyprianou 31, CY 3036 Limassol, Cyprus 

_______________ 

This Tour Guide is organized within the European project EUHeritageTOUR 

funded under European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry. 

This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be 

held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. 

co-funded by

Table of Contents 

Spiritual p. 5 ~ 46 

Makers of the History p. 47 ~ 78 

Hedonism p. 79 ~ 96 

Genius p. 97 ~ 129 

Urban Cities p. 130 ~ 155 

Small Towns Gems p. 156 ~ 174 

co-funded by

Introduction 

The EUHeritageTOUR Consortium is happy to introduce you the first issue of the 

EUHeritageTOUR Guide. 

 

The Guide — now in a “basic release” — will provide the visitors with inspirational insights into 

the cultural route across the most impressive World Heritage sites disseminated in Europe. 

The EUHeritageTOUR cultural route offers 6 outstanding, innovative and engaging thematic 

itineraries, linking together the World Heritage sites in the different participant countries 

according to unusual narrative logics. 

Discover the true European cultural identity in each World Heritage site: from the ancient 

painted churches in the Troodos Region, to the great fortifications in the city of Elvas; from the 

timeless glam of small towns such as Spoleto (Italy) to the restless urban cities such as Amsterdam 

and Brussels; from the great masterpieces of the Rupestrian Churches in Matera (Italy) to the prehistoric 

art in Coa Valley (Portugal); from the wise traditions in producing the Porto wine in the 

Alto Douro Region, to the secrets of the trappist beer in Belgium, or to the excellence in the wine 

production of the Collio Valley in Cividale del Friuli (Italy). 

This is the Beauty of Multiplicity, this is your inspirational trip. 

The journey is an experience of life. 

Live it. 

As, You Are Where You Have Been. 

co-funded by

Spiritual…

Introducing the 

itinerary 

Spiritual 

Chasing the true Spirit 

of Europe, to find mine

Cyprus 

Painted 

Churches 

Troodos Region 

This region is characterized by one of the largest groups 

of churches and monasteries of the former Byzantine 

Empire. The complex of 10 monuments included on the 

World Heritage List, all richly decorated with murals, 

provides an overview of Byzantine and post-Byzantine 

painting in Cyprus. They range from small churches 

whose rural architectural style is in stark contrast to their 

highly refined decoration, to monasteries such as that of 

St John Lampadistis. 

Histortical Background 

The Troodos mountain region of Cyprus contains one of 

the largest groups of churches and monasteries of the 

former Byzantine Empire. The ten monuments included 

on the World Heritage List, all richly decorated with 

murals, provide an overview of Byzantine and post- 

Byzantine painting in Cyprus and bear testimony to the 

variety of artistic influences affecting Cyprus over a 

period of 500 years. The structures display elements 

that were specific to Cyprus and were determined by 

its geography, history and climate, including steeppitched 

wooden roofs with flat hooked tiles, in some 

cases providing a second roof over Byzantine masonry 

domes and vaulted forms, while exhibiting Byzantine 

metropolitan art of the highest quality. The architecture 

of these churches is unique, confined to the Troodos 

range and almost certainly of indigenous origin. They 

range from small churches whose rural architectural 

style is in stark contrast to their highly refined 

decoration, to monasteries such as that of St John 

Lampadistis. They also contain a wealth of dated 

inscriptions, an uncommon feature in the Eastern 

Mediterranean during the Middle Ages, which makes 

them particularly important for recording the 

chronology of Byzantine painting. 

Important examples of the 11th century iconography 

survive in the churches of St. Nicholas of the Roof and 

Panagia Phorbiotissa of Nikitari. Within Panagia tou 

Arakou in Lagoudera and St. Nicholas of the Roof are 

found important wall paintings from the Comnenian era,

with the first being of exceptional artistic quality attributed to 

Constantinopolitan masters. The 13th century, the early 

period of Latin (western) rule in Cyprus, is well represented in 

the wall paintings of St. John Lampadistis in Kalopanagiotis 

and in Panagia in Moutoulla, which reflect the continuing 

Byzantine tradition and new external influences. The 14th 

century wall paintings at Panagia Phorbiotissa, Timios 

Stavros at Pelendri and St. John Lampadistis also display 

both local and Western influences, and to a certain degree, 

the revived art of Paleologan Constantinople. In the late 15th 

century iconography at Timios Stavros Agiasmati and 

Archangelos Michael, Pedoulas exhibits once again the 

harmonious combination of Byzantine art with local painting 

tradition, as well as some elements of Western influence, 

which are different, however, from the earlier series of St. 

John Lampadistis that was painted by a refugee from 

Constantinople. The Venetian rule, which began in 1489 was 

reflected in the development of the Italo-Byzantine school, 

and the most sophisticated examples can be found in 

Panagia Podhithou and the north chapel of St. John 

Lampadistis, both successful examples of Italian 

Renaissance art and Byzantine art fusion. Finally, the wall 

paintings of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior in 

Palaichori form part of the Cretan school of the 16th century. 

The ten churches included in the serial inscription are: 

➡ Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof) 

Kakopetria; 

➡ Ayios Ioannis (St. John) Lambadhistis Monastery, 

Kalopanayiotis; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) Phorviotissa (Asinou), 

Nikitari; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) tou Arakou, Lagoudhera; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin), Moutoullas; 

➡ Archangelos Michael (Archangel Michael), 

Pedhoulas; 

➡ Timios Stavros (Holy Cross), Pelendria; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) Podhithou, Galata; 

➡ Stavros (Holy Cross) Ayiasmati, Platanistasa, 

➡ the Church of Ayia Sotira (Transfiguration of the 

Savior), Palaichori. 

Of the ten churches nine are situated in the District of 

Nicosia and one, Timios Stavros (Holy Cross), Pelendria 

is in the District of Limassol. 

Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC; byzantinecyprus.com;

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 

Assisi, Brescia 

The Sassi and the Park 

of the Rupestrian 

Churches in Matera 

This is the most outstanding, intact example of a 

troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, 

perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first 

inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later 

settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in 

human history. Matera is in the southern region of 

Basilicata. 

Description 

The Sassi of Matera and their park are an outstanding 

example of a rock-cut settlement, adapted perfectly to 

its geomorphological setting and its ecosystem and 

exhibiting continuity over more than two millennia. They 

represent an outstanding example of a traditional human 

settlement and land use showing the evolution of a 

culture that has maintained over time a harmonious 

relationship with its natural environment. 

The Matera region has been inhabited by man since the 

Palaeolithic period. Permanent defended village 

settlements grew up after the last Ice Age, based on 

agriculture. Deforestation of the area led to serious 

erosion and created problems of water management. 

The gradual invasion of fields by garrigue and maquis 

led to a change from agriculture to pastoral 

transhumance. Matera's development was due to its 

geological setting. A belt of soft tufo is located between 

350 m and 400 m above the valley bed, and this also 

contains two natural depressions (grabialioni ); in 

consequence, it was here that the settlement grew up. 

The clay plateau above was reserved for agriculture and 

pastoralism. The advent of better tools with the Metal 

Ages made it easier to dig into the soft calcareous tufo 

rocks exposed in the gravine (gorges or canyons) and 

there is evidence from the 

Bronze Age of the creation of underground cisterns and 

tombs, and in particular of underground dwellings 

opening out of a central space (jazzi ). The excavated 

tufo blocks were used for the construction of walls and 

towers. This process was easiest on the sides of ravines, 

where the softer strata of tufo were exposed. Greek 

colonization led to the introduction of higher technology 

and political structures, under the influence of the 

Pythagorean School. The earlier dispersed settlements

coalesced into urban centres of government, under their 

own kings (i Re Pastori), leading eventually to the 

creation of true towns. The harsh landscape resulted in 

the growth of a spirit of sturdy independence which was 

resistant to successive waves of invaders after the 

Byzantine period. The area was also very attractive to 

monastic and utopian communities. 

This structure remained intact until the 18th century. It 

was the expansion and interventions of the 19th and 

20th centuries that rejected the ancient principle of land 

management based on water supply and drainage and 

spread to the clays of the plateau above. 

The earliest house form was a simple cave in the tufo with 

a closing wall formed from the excavated blocks. This 

developed into a vaulted room (lamione ) built out into the 

open space, and was then available for considerable 

adaptation and extension. Groups of dwellings round a 

common courtyard evolved into the social structure of the 

vicinato, with shared facilities such as a cistern. In 

between the two sassi was established the fortified centre 

of the town (cività ), within which the cathedral was sited. 

Workshops and granaries were set up outside the cività, 

which was connected with the sassi by narrow lanes and 

steps. The water supply was highly organized, being 

collected on the plateau above and brought down by 

gravity for distribution to the community. As the town grew, 

more houses were excavated and built, climbing the 

hillside; the roofs of some houses often acted as streets 

for the houses above them. The houses became more 

grandiose, and terraces were built out in the Renaissance 

period for gardens. 

Historical Background 

The Matera region has been inhabited by man since the 

Palaeolithic period. Permanent defended village 

settlements grew up after the last Ice Age, based on 

agriculture. Deforestation of the area led to serious 

erosion and created problems of water management. 

The gradual invasion of fields by garricue and maauis 

led to a change from agriculture to pastoral 

transhumance. The advent of better tools with the Metal 

Ages made it easier to dig into the soft calcareous tufo 

rocks exposed in the gravine (gorges or canyons) and 

there is evidence from the Bronze Age of the creation of 

underground cisterns and tombs, and in particular of 

underground dwellings opening out of a central space 

(iazzi). The excavated tufo blocks were used for the 

construction of walls and towers. This process was 

easiest on the sides of ravines, where the softer strata of 

tufo were exposed. 

Greek colonization led to the introduction of higher 

technology and political structures, under the influence 

of the Pythagorean school. The earlier dispersed 

settlements coalesced into urban centres of government, 

under their own kings (i Re Pastori), leading eventually to 

the creation of true towns. The harsh landscape resulted 

in the growth of a spirit of sturdy independence which 

was resistant to successive waves of invaders after the 

Byzantine period. The area was also very attractive to 

monastic and utopian communities. 

Matera's development was due to its geological setting. 

A belt of soft tufo is located between 350 and 400 m 

above the valley bed, and this also contains two natural 

depressions (arabialioni); in consequence, it was here 

that the settlement grew up. The clay plateau above was 

reserved for agriculture and pastoralism. This structure 

remained intact until the 18th century. It was the 

expansion and interventions of the 19th and 20th 

centuries that rejected the ancient principle of land 

management based on water supply and drainage and 

spread to the clays of the plateau above. The original 

urban fabric degenerated to the point where Matera, 

Idrisi as hailed by the 12th century geographer El 

"magnificent and splendid", was seen by Carlo Levi in 

his famous novel Cristo si B fermato ad Eboli (Christ 

stopped at Eboli), published in 1945, life in southern 

Italy. as the symbol of the misery of peasant As a result 

of the Italian Government's concern about this situation, 

legislation passed in 1952 led to the rehousing of the 

dwellers of the old quarters in new buildings and the 

desertion of the ancient centre in the 1950s. 

Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC

How to get there 

Matera is located in the Basilicata region and it can be 

reached by using the following transportation: 

By plane 

The nearest airport is the Bari Palese airport , just 50 Km 

away. Bari Palese airport is well connected with the major 

Italian cities such as Milan, Rome, Verona, Turin, Venice, 

Trapani, Bergamo, Bologna and also to international 

destinations such as London (Stansted and Gatwick) , 

Paris, Barcelona , Brussels , Cologne, Bucharest, Tirana , 

Stuttgart, Monaco, Timisoara. 

A shuttle service from and to the airport is available. 

By train 

Matera is connected to Bari from Lucania Appulo FAL 

Railways 

By bus 

You can reach Matera by bus using the following 

companies: 

- Marino Bus . 

- Marozzi Bus . 

- Bus Smooth . 

By car 

From the Tyrrhenian coast: Take the Salerno - Reggio 

Calabria highway. Follow the signs to Potenza. Then 

continue along the SS 407 for Metaponto " Basentana " 

until you see signs near Matera Ferrandina. 

From the Adriatic coast: Take the highway Bologna- 

Taranto, take the gate Bari Nord. Continue to the industrial 

area, Altamura - Matera , along the SS 96 and SS 99. 

From Calabria and Sicily: Take the Salerno - Reggio 

Calabria highway. Take the Sibari Gate and take the SS 

106 Taranto. Exit at Matera, near Metaponto. 

From Salento: The easiest way to reach Matera is to 

surmont Taranto, and take the SS 106 until exit near 

Metaponto Matera . 

And the nearby Other outstanding 

cultural places 

National Archaelogical Museum "Domenico Ridola", 

Via Ridola, 24 - Tel. e Fax +39 0835 310058The National 

Museum "Ridola", established February 9, 1911, was 

realized thanks to the donation of the collection of 

archaeological finds, collected by Senator Ridola, during 

his research. The first nucleus of the museum was 

installed in the seventeenth-century convent of the Poor 

Clares and contained materials from the Paleolithic to 

the Bronze Age, displyed in the windows of wood. In the 

mid-'50s new rooms were added to the Museum and, in 

1976, with the opening of a new environment dedicated 

to the findings of the various areas of Matera, there was 

a further expansion of the museum itself. With the 

expansion of his collection, the museum has a new 

structural change in 1985 with the building of new 

offices, workshops and warehouses. Currently they are 

stored inside the building of the prehistoric artifacts 

collected by Ridola along with recent and important 

discoveries of Trasano, including a rare oven datable to 

the Neolithic. 

National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of 

Basilicata, Piazza Pascoli , 1 ( at the Palazzo 

Lanfranchi ) 

Opened on May 6, 2003 at the Palazzo Lanfranchi in 

Matera, the National Museum of Medieval and Modern 

Art in the Basilicata region is divided into three sections. 

The first collects paintings, stone sculptures, wood 

carvings, silver and paintings from all over the region. 

There are more than 100 works of art displayed in this 

section, from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. 

The second section is devoted to the D'Errico Collection: 

70 paintings are displayed, available thanks to the 

donation by the homonymous non-profit organization, 

located in Palazzo S. Gervasio. In the third and final 

section is foreseen the exhibition of 44 works by Carlo 

Levi. The building hosting the museum is also provided 

by two churches: the Santa Maria De Armenis soon open 

to the public, while the Madonna del Carmine one, to be 

used as an auditorium, is currently being restored.

MUSMA - Museum of Contemporary Sculpture in 

Matera, Palace Pomarici , Ward Sassi 

The Museum of Contemporary Sculpture - Matera , 

original ' cave museum ' run by the cooperative 

Synchronos since 2011, is located in the suggestive 

setting of the seventeenth century Palazzo Pomarici. It is 

considered a unique museum for the perfect symbiosis 

between the sculptures and some of the most 

characteristic places carved in the heart of the Sassi: the 

museum spaces, in fact, cover not only the built-up 

areas of the building, but also the vast tombs carved, 

where the works displayed are regenerated by the 

power of suggestion oft the surrounding rocky 

environments. 

Useful links 

http://www.comune.matera.it/ 

Official Website of the Matera Municipality 

http://www.provincia.matera.it/Provincia 

Official Website of the Province of Matera 

http://www.basilicatanet.it/ 

Official Website of the Basilicata Region

Bed&Breakfast 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

B&B Al Borgo, Via Tagliamento, 2 - 

Borgo La Martella 75100 - Matera 

(MT) 

B&B Al Convento, Via Purgatorio 

Vecchio n. 3 - Ponte San Pietro 

Caveoso n. 25/30 75100 - Matera (MT); 

Ph.: +39 0835 314099 

Fax 0835 314099 

B&B All'Annunziata Vecchia 

Recinto Annunziata Vecchia, 13 

75100 - Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 330 364753 

B&B Giolitti, Via D. Nelli, 26 


Mobile: +39 328 3295447 

B&B I Sassi Viale Paladino, 6 75100 

Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 328 4623037 

Fax +39 0835 333321 

B&B Angolo Felice, Via Ungheria, 8 Borgo 

Venusio Vecchio 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 259152 

Fax +39 0835 259152 

B&B Centrale, Vico IV Novembre, 7 75100 - 

Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 340 1523988 

B&B Alla Dolce Vita, Rione Malve, 51 


Ph.: +39 0835 310324 

Fax +39 0835 310324 

B&B Alle Malve, Via Bruno Buozzi, 

102 75100 - Matera (MT); Ph.: +39 

0835 312816 Fax +39 0835 312816 

B&B Agorà, Via Sant'Angelo, 29 


Mobile: +39 329 341413 

B&B L'Albero di Eliana, Via Gradoni 

Municipio, 14 75100 - Matera (MT); 

Mobile: +39 320 3929330

Rooms Rental 

Agli Archi - Dimore Storiche 

Rione Pianelle, 3-4-5-6 

Gradelle San Pietro Caveoso 


Mobile: +39 334 6111735 

Ai Terrazzini 

Via D'Addozio, 141 75100 - 

Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 329 5344368 

Casastella, Via Casalnuovo, 257 


Ph.: +39 0835 310272 

Fax +39 0835 310272 

All'Annunziata Vecchia 



Mobile: +39 330 364753 

Casa di Ele, Via San Biagio, 26 


Mobile: +39 389 0117392 

Corte San Pietro, Via B. Buozzi, 97/B 


Ph.: +39 0835 310813 

Fax +39 0835 312582 

Torretta ai Sassi, Vico I Casalnuovo, 

31 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 310732

Home Holidays 

Casa Contini, Via B. Buozzi, 81/83 


Ph.: +39 0835 388399 

Fax +39 0835 388399 

Casa del Sole 

Via San Pietro Caveoso, 5/6 


Ph.: +39 0835 337421 

Agriturismo Colle Igino, C.da Igino, snc 


Ph.: +39 0835 307137 

Fax +39 0835 307137 

Agritourism Country Houses 

Az. Agr. Le Matinelle, C.da Matinelle 


Ph.: +39 0835 307343 

Fax +39 0835 307343 

Ai Foggiali, Via San Biagio, 46 


Mobile: +39 388 4881610 

Casa Natalì, Via Pentasuglia, 21-23 


Mobile: +39 328 3287858 

Az. Agr. Masseria del Parco 

S.P. Matera-Grassano km. 5,420 

Loc. Ponte Timmari 75100 Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 302801 

Fax +39 0835 302801 

Az. Agr. Torre Spagnola 

C.da Torre Spagnola 75100 Matera (MT) 

Ph. +39 . 0835 339214 

Fax +39 0835 339214 

Masseria del Pantaleone 

C.da Chiancalata, 27 75100 - Matera 

Ph.: +39 0835 335239 

Fax +39 0835 240021 

Tempa Bianca, C.da Rifeccia 


Ph.: +39 0835 302964 

Fax 0835 302964

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 


Longobards and the 

Places of the Power. St. 

Sofia Church, Benevento 

Description 

The CHURCH OF SANTA SOFIA is one of the most 

complex and best preserved structures of the period of 

Arechi II, Duke of Benevento. The Church was built 

around 760 as a personal chapel and natio¬nal 

Sanctuary by the Duke, for redemption of his soul and 

salvation of his people and nation. 

The interior space of the characteristic central structure 

is divided by columns and pillars laid out to form an 

hexagon and a concentric decagon; the columns re-use 

capitals from the classical era, placed upside down to 

form bases. The Church, with its star layout, is extremely 

original and is the result of a blend of Roman-Hellenist 

and Byzantine tradition (the characteristic eastern 

architecture with a centred plan from the 5th and 6th 

centuries) align with the tendency to experiment that was 

part of Longobard culture, and in this building it comes 

through once again by the intentional use of recycled 

spolia.The ancient Church also shows the renewed 

interest in buildings with centred plans that spread 

especially in northern Europe from the Carolingian 

period and mainly for palace chapels. In the two minor 

apses there are the most important fragments of the wall 

paintings dedicated to stories of the life of Christ, which 

pro¬bably covered the entire interior surface of the 

Church, the highest evidence of the pittura beneventana, 

an art movement parallel to the scriptura beneventana 

phenomenon, the national script of the Longobards in 

Southern Italy, also used in Monasteries to tran¬scribe 

works from antiquity. A female Convent was annexed to 

the church of Santa Sofia, whose extraordinary 

CLOISTER, rebuilt in Romanesque times, re-uses a 

some elements from the original Longobard construction 

The complex is the maximum expression of the ideology 

of power, having been founded by duke Arechi ii to 

serve as a national temple and votive chapel for the 

Longobard people. Its original purpose was the 

maximum expression of Longobard sovereignty and of 

the link with local christian élites, which was also behind 

the dedication in line with that of St. Sophia in 

Constantinople. 



By plane: 

Naples Airport (Capodichino) - 80 km from Benevento. 

Bari Airport - 230 Km from Benevento. 

Rome Airport (Fiumicino) Airport - 275 Km from Benevento. 

By train: 

Rail links to Avellino, Campobasso, Foggia - Bari, Caserta, 

Naples, Rome. 

By car: 

For cars coming from Rome, take the A1 Napoli - Milano, 

exit at Caianello and take road 372 "Telesina" 

For vehicles coming from highway A14 (Bologna - Bari), 

exit at Termoli and take road 88 The Two Princes 

(Campobasso - Termoli) 

For vehicles coming from highway A16 (Naples - Bari), exit 

at Benevento 

For vehicles coming from Naples and Caserta, follow road 

7 - Appia 

By bus: 

Links Benevento - Avellino and vice versa 

A.IR. Car services Irpini - Via Fasano - ZI - Loc. 

Pianodardine - 83100 Avellino - tel. 0825 204250 

Bartolini Tourism - Via Baccanico , 43 - 83100 Avellino - 

tel. 0825 26416 / 0825 34855 

Links Benevento - Italy and vice versa : 

Car services E.T.A.C. LTD - Via S. Cosimo - Benevento - 

tel. 0824 28321 / 0824 47081 

EAV Campania - Via Munanzio Plancus - Benevento 

tel. 0824 1900314 

Email: infobus@enteautonomovolturno.it 

Mot.Tam S.r.l. - Via Pentri , 27 - Benevento 

tel. 0824 21804 

Email: mottamautoservizi@libero.it 

Links Benevento - Salerno and vice versa : 

Car services E.T.A.C. LTD - Via S. Cosimo - Benevento - 

tel. 0824 28321 / 0824 47081 

Links Benevento - Rome and vice versa : 

Bus Caputo - Via Pescara , 39 Nucleo Industriale - Conza 

of Campania (AV) - tel. 0827 39527 

Marozzi Bus - Via Buozzi , 36 - Bari - tel. 080 5790111 / 

06 4742801 

Group Di Maio - Via Pittoli , 188-83045 Calitri (AV) - tel. 

0827 34117 / 0827 34991 


cultural places and events 

Arco Traiano 

Teatro Romano 

Area Archeologica del Sacramento 

Museo Arcos 

Chiesa di S. Ilario e Museo dell'Arco 

Ponte Leproso 

Rocca dei Rettori 

Chiesa e Chiostro di S. Sofia 

Mura longobarde 

Duomo ed Ipogeo 

Palazzo Paolo V 

Basilica di S. Bartolomeo 

Basilica della Madonna delle Grazie 

Hortus Conclusus 

Scipionyx Samniticus 

ArTelesia Film Festival - Evento dedicato alle Scuole e 

alle Università - VARIE LOCALITÀ 

See more at: http://www.eptbenevento.it/ 

archivio_eventi_mostre_benevento.html#sthash.stGbWp 

Ec.dpuf 

Symbolum - Festival della Fede - BENEVENTO 

www.comune.benevento.it 

Useful links 







Agritourism or Country Houses 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Cancelleria, Contrada Cancelleria; 

Ph.: +39 0824 779022 

347 5636121 

info@agriturismocancelleria.it 

www.agriturismocancelleria.it 

Fattoria Imperiale 

Contrada S. Marco 

Mobile: +39 338 9945591 

fattoriaimperiale@virgilio.it 

www.fattoriaimperiale.com 

La Francesca, Contrada Francesca 

Ph.: +39 0824 311426 - 334 8661629 

p.barricelli@tin.it 

www.agriturismolafrancesca.it 

La Minarola, 

Contrada Ciofani, 23 

Ph.: +39 0824 47825 - 333 1153435 

Fax: +39 0824 47825 

info@laminarola.com 

www.laminarola.com 

Le Stanze del Sogno - Maison de Charme 

Piazzetta De Martini, 3 

Ph.: +39 0824 43991 - 338 4603359 

Fax: +39 0824 29875 

lestanzedelsogno@katamail.com 

Rooms Rental 

Masseria Olivola, Contrada Olivola 

Ph.: +39 0824 776226 - 328 5922938 

info@olivola.it; www.masseriaolivola.it 

Pinus Rooms, Contrada San Vitale 

info@pinusrooms.it

Bartolomeo 

Via Bartolomeo Camerario, 64 

Ph.: +39 0824 50801 - 349 7062060 

angel.carl@live.it 

Bed&Breakfast 

Dietro l'Angolo, Via T. Bucciano, 43 

Ph.: +39 0824 51386 - 339 6707580 

Fax: +39 0824 5118 info@bbdietrolangolo.it 

www.bbdietrolangolo.it 

Alta Collina, Via Lammia, 5 

Ph.: +39 0824776021 - 3477288641 

Fax: +39 0824776021 

info@agriturismoaltacollina.it 

www.agriturismoaltacollina.it 

Domus Traiani, Via Cupa S. Lucia, 7 

Ph.: +39 0824 1901213 - 347 5621812 

info@domustraiani.it 

www.domustraiani.it 

Il Noce, Via Mario La Vipera, 35 

Mobile: +39 329 1520597 

ilnoce@outlook.it 

A’ Murata, Località Le Murate 

Ph.: +39 0824 776480 - 347 5103098 

agriturismoamurata@libero.it 

www.agriturismoamurata.it 

Le Streghe, Via Mario La Vipera, 54 

Mobile.: +39 350 5026476 

info@bblestreghe.it 

www.bblestreghe.it

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 



Places of the Power. 

Sanctuary of St. Michael, 

Foggia 

Description 

After 650, the Longobards from Benevento widened the 

territory of the Duchy by means of annexing the Gargano 

region, where the cult of the Archangel Michael was 

established from the 5th century onwards; such cult 

proved to be congenial to the sensitivity of the 

Longobards, for it showed attributes and characteristics 

of the pagan Woden, considered the supreme God, the 

god of war, psychopomp, protector of heroes and 

warriors.From the 7th century, the Gargano Sanctuary 

became the national Sanctuary of the Longobards and 

the most important place of worship of Saint Michael, 

deeply influencing the spread of the devotion for St. 

Michael in the Western Europe and becoming a model for 

the hundreds of Sanctuaries dedicated all over Europe, 

including the most famous Mont Saint Michel on the 

border of Brittany. The cult of S. Michael the Archangel 

gave rise to a conspicuous heritage of faith, art and 

culture between the 6th and 8th centuries, leaving 

evidences in the folk traditions – still alive in the never 

ended devotion to the Angel – in the anthroponym, in the 

material culture. It was a heterogeneous environment from 

the social point of view, by ethnicity, by the pilgrims’ 

provenance, that shows how central the role of the 

Apulian Sanctuary was, in relation to not only the 

Longobards.With the Longobards, however, it became 

one of the most important places of worship in 

Christendom and was an international destination of 

pilgrimage, one of the last stages on the road that lead to 

the Holy Land, coinciding with the ancient route of the 

Trajan Way in Southern Italy, which since then took the 

name of Via Sacra Langobardorum.The anthropic 

structures that redefined for liturgical reasons the natural 

cave and the exceptional epigraphical body on display on 

the Sanctuary’s columns and capitols, allow to reconstruct 

an extraordinary context, a meeting place of different 

realities. The main Longobard dynasties, the Dukes of 

Benevento but also those of Pavia and Brescia – as 

testified by inscription (graffiti) preserved in loco - gave 

life to vast monumental reconstruction works at the 

Sanctuary, to facilitate access to the primitive grotto and 

provide hospitality for pilgrims.The historical-cultural 

heritage that can be ascribed to the Longobard period – 

and today still living -represents a unique evidence in the 

definition of Longobard history. 



By train 

Monte Sant'Angelo to reach by train it is advisable to stop 

at the station of Foggia. And ' possible to consult the 

timetables of trains from the site of the Ferrovie dello Stato. 

From Foggia railway station you can reach Monte 

Sant'Angelo by bus or taxi. 

For bus schedules you may refer to the sites of SITA and 

Ferrovie del Gargano . 

Taxi service is available near the train station. 

By Car 

To get to Monte Sant'Angelo in your car, you have to reach 

the A14 Bologna / Taranto. Continuing along this highway 

you can take: 

The exit of San Severo (Km 57). Take the road 272 in the 

direction of San Marco in Lamis proceed to San Giovanni 

Rotondo and Monte Sant'Angelo 24 km 

The exit of Foggia (Km 54). Take the SS 89 in the direction 

of Manfredonia in the Macchia divert to Monte Sant'Angelo 

By bus 

There are several ways by bus to reach Monte Sant'Angelo 

dalle major Italian cities. 

Among these are: 

Long-range Lines of Ferrovie del Gargano: daily connect 

several large Italian cities with common Gargano. 

National and International Lines of SAPS , in which case , 

you get to Foggia and then use other local lines (eg 

Ferrovie del Gargano and SITA ) to Monte Sant'Angelo. 

By Plane 

Monte Sant'Angelo is reached by three airports in Apulia: 

* Airport "Gino Lisa" of Foggia 

* Airport " Palese " in Bari 

* Brindisi Airport 

The airport of Foggia is the closest to Monte Sant'Angelo. 

The flights to and from Foggia are offered by the company 

Myair. From Foggia airport you can reach the train station, 

with lines 18:19 ATAF. From the station to the local bus 

connections to the Ferrovie del Gargano and SITA are 

available. In any case, you should consult the website of 

the company which operates the airports of Puglia (Apulia 

Airports Spa) for information on flights and services offered. 

Useful links 

http://www.santuariosanmichele.it/ 


Agritourism or Country Houses 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

CASA FREDA, Foggia (FG) V. S. SEVERO 

KM. 2,00 - 71122 

Ph.: +39 0881711228 0881-718492 

Fax +39 08810740586 

www.casafreda.it - info@casafreda.it 

IL CACCIATORE, Foggia (FG) 

V. ARRIGOTTI 24 71100 

Ph.: +39 0881580661 Fax +39 0881771579 

www.albergodelcacciatore.it 

info@albergodelcacciatore.it 

AL CELONE AGRITURISMO, Foggia (FG) 

VIA S. SEVERO KM.4 - 71121 

Ph.: +39 0881206903 

Fax +39 0881206903 

www.alcelone.it - info@alcelone.it 

LA FATTORIA DI ARPINOVA, Foggia (FG) 

VIA S. MARCO IN LAMIS KM 2,5 - 71100 

Ph.: +39 0881700774 

zoppomichela@gmail.com 

TENIMENTO DI SAN GIUSEPPE 

Foggia (FG) VIA TRINITAPOLI 

KM.4 - 71100 

Mobile: +39 368549979 

www.tenimentosangiuseppe.it 

ped.ant@virgilio.it 

BELLA NAPOLI AFF., Foggia (FG) 

VIA CALLISTO AZZARITI, 26 - 71100 

Ph.: +39 0881-720916 

bellanapolibeb.com 

gianlucaderienzo@virgilio.it 

CASA DI CAMPO di G. Natale, Foggia (FG) 

Tratturo Castiglione KM 7 - 71100 

Mobile: +39 335-7446808 339-2638972 

casadicampo@interfree.it

Bed&Breakfast 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

CRISTINA, Foggia (FG) 

VIA BARLETTA, 16 - 71122 

www.bbgiordano.it 

bb.giordano@libero.it 

DA ROS.S, Foggia (FG) 

VIALE FORTORE, 11/U - 70121 

ross1961@gmail.com 

LE CAPRIATE, Foggia(FG) 

VIA TRINITAPOLI POD.201 O.N.C. - 71100 

Ph.: +39 0881682265 

leonardosmn@libero.it 

POSTA BASSI AZ. AGRITURISTICA 

Foggia(FG) V. Manfredonia 

Km 196.2 71122 

Ph.: +39 0881700155 Fax +39 0881700155 

www.postabassi.it - info@postabassi.it 

BELLA NAPOLI, Foggia (FG) 

V. C. AZZARITI, 28 - 71121 

Ph.: +39 0881720916 

gianlucaderienzo@virgilio.it 

CENTRO STORICO, Foggia (FG) 

V. CIMAGLIA, 6 - 71121 

Mobile: 3471242462 - 360919391 

www.bebcentrostoricofoggia.it 

info@bebcentrostoricofoggia.it 

FEDERICO II, Foggia(FG) 

P.ZZA De Sanctis, 17 - 71122 

Ph.: +39 0881202863 

Fax +39 0881202863 

www.bedfedericosecondo.it 

info@bedfedericosecondo.it 

GIORDANO, Foggia(FG) 

P.zza C.Battisti, 27 - 71121 

www.bbgiordano.it 

bb.giordano@libero.it

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 



Places of the Power. 

Clitunno Tempietto, 

Trevi 

Description 

The Clitunno Tempietto - a small sacellum in the form of 

a tetrastyle Corinthian temple with two side porticoes in 

antis - represents a masterpiece of religious and 

commemorative architecture, destination of pilgrimages, 

a unique construction in terms of structure, decoration, 

and countryside, constituting a perfect synthesis 

between the construction and natural environment 

(Clitunno and the lucus sacro). 

The wealth of architectural sculpting is exceptional and 

unique and uses spolia and new works in a completely 

extraordinary harmonious way that has inspired 

international artists and intellectuals since Renaissance 

times. The façade features splen¬did columns covered 

in leaves from the portico, whose architrave bears an 

inscription in extraordinarily carved square Roman 

capital letters invoking God complementing the 

inscription on the side porticoes. This is one of the rare 

examples of monument epigraphs of the Early Middle 

Ages. Inside the temple, wall paintings of remarkable 

quality, which have been compared to the frescoes in 

the presbytery of Santa Maria Antiqua in Rome, fra¬med 

a small marble aedicule in the apse, which is also partly 

the product of the assemblage of re-used Roman 

material and deco¬rations designed for this purpose. 

The Clitunno Tempietto represents a remarkable 

manifestation of the heterogeneous culture of the 

Longobard age. The components of the extraordinary 

cultural tradition of Spoleto are perceivable in its 

palimpsest.This is one of the rare examples of 

monument epigraphs of the Early Middle Ages; the 

practice of placing monument inscriptions on the façade 

of a building had been abandoned in late antiquity and 

was not re-introduced until the 14th century when Leon 

Battista Alberti created one for the Malatesta Temple in 

Rimini. The general style of the Tempietto, and the 

extraordinarily classicizing aspect constituted by reused 

materials and ornamentation designed and executed for 

the project suggest that the patrons were members of 

the ducal family, proclaiming their social status by 

connecting themselves to the grandeur of Rome. 



By car 

From the North: 

Taking the A1 highway towards Florence, exit Valdichiana, 

then take the S.S. 75 Perugia-Foligno, then S.S. n3 

Foligno-Spoleto and follow the signs for Campello sul 

Clitunno 

From South: 

Taking the A1 highway, exit Orte, then taking the motorway 

Terni-Spoletp 

By train 

From Rome: railway line Rome-Ancoma 

From Ancona: railway line Ancona-Rome 

From Bologna and Florence: railway Bologna-Florence- 

Terentola-Perugia-Foligno-Spoleto 

By plane 

Regional airport St. Egidio 

Amerigo Vespucci Airport, Peretola, Florence 

Leonardo da Vinci International airport, Fiumicino, Rome 

Useful links 

http://www.campelloweb.com/

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 


Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC 

The Basilica of ST. 

Francesco and other 

Francescan places, Assisi 

Description 

Assisi, a medieval city built on a hill, is the birthplace of 

Saint Francis, closely associated with the work of the 

Franciscan Order. Its medieval art masterpieces, such as 

the Basilica of San Francesco and paintings by Cimabue, 

Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, have made 

Assisi a fundamental reference point for the development 

of Italian and European art and architecture. 

The extraterritorial properties of the Holy See that make up 

this World Heritage site comprise a series of unique artistic 

achievements - Santa Maria Maggiore, St John Lateran and 

St Paul Outside the Walls. These properties exerted 

considerable influence on the development of architecture 

and monumental arts throughout the centuries in a large 

part of the Christian world. The Lateran Treaty concluded in 

1929 between Italy and the Holy See established that a 

number of properties termed 'extraterritorial' and situated 

on Italian soil remained the exclusive property of the Holy 

See. In addition to the three great churches, there are 

several remarkable palaces: the Cancelleria (1483-1517), 

the Palazzo Maffei, the Palazzo di San Callisto and lastly, 

the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, renovated by Bernini and 

Borromini. The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is one of 

the four greater basilicas of Rome, of greatest artistic 

importance, religious and urban planning. In papal Rome it 

became one of the fulcrums of the urban plan of Sixtus V. 

The basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, with its typical bell 

tower and the cupolas, is a characteristic element of the 

Roman scene. Characteristic of the basilica is the quality 

and the abundance of the mosaics: those of the nave (36 

panels) and those of the arch dated back to the 5th 

century, while those of the apse have been finished in 

1295. The beautiful rear facade, the work of Carl Rainaldi 

(1673), is one of the most solemn realizations of the 

Baroque architecture. 

San Giovanni in Laterano was the first cathedral of Rome, 

where Emperor Constantine allowed the pope to set up the 

episcopal chair after 312. Popes lived in the Lateran 

Palace until Clement V (1305-14) transferred the papal seat 

to Avignon. The present name is a result of the importance 

of the baptistry in the church, and of the presence of a

Benedictine monastery dedicated to saints John the 

Baptist and John the Evangelist. It had five naves; the 

exterior was simple, but the interior was lavishly decorated. 

The first major restoration was ordered by Pope Saint 

Sergius (687-701). Pope Sergius III (904-11) had the 

basilica completely rebuilt because of the earthquake 

damage. The old foundations were used, and it was built 

within the old perimeter. It was after this rebuilding that it 

was formally dedicated to St John the Baptist. The 

additional dedication to St John the Evangelist was made 

by Pope Lucius II (1144-45). In 1646, the basilica was in 

danger of collapsing. Pope Innocent X gave the task of 

restoring it to Borromini, in preparation for the Holy Year of 

1650. It was during Borromini's restoration that the church 

was given its Baroque appearance. 

San Paolo fuori le Mura is one of the four patriarchal 

basilicas of Rome built at the request of Constantine in 314 

and later enlarged. In 1823, after being almost completely 

destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt by the architect Poletti and 

finished in 1854. The interior of the current basilica has 80 

monolithic columns of Montorfano granite divided into five 

naves. On the upper part of the walls closed by slabs of 

Egyptian alabaster between big windows there are 36 

frescoes with the scenes from the life of St Paul. 

Underneath the wall the frieze extends to the entire 

medium aisle. Against the internal wall of the facade there 

are six large alabaster columns presented by the Viceroy of 

Egypt to Gregory XVI. 


The Roman plan of the city is based on the set of terraces, 

the construction of which started in the north-eastern part 

of the town (close to San Rufino), then extending toward 

the west. Culturally, the region belonged to Umbria but was 

on the border with Etruria. Abundant archaeological 

evidence, in fact, shows that the city's foundation relates to 

the Umbrian phase, being later taken over by the Romans. 

The Roman monuments include the Temple of Minerva 

dating from the 1st century BCE to the time of Augustus, as 

part of an important sanctuary in the forum area, as well as 

theatres, bath-houses, and other public buildings. The 

ancient city walls were about 2300m long, enclosing some 

55ha with vast green areas. The extent of the settlement 

and the fact that it was granted the status of municipium in 

89 BCE demonstrate not only its role as a religious centre 

but also its political and economic significance. From the 

3rd century CE, the city shows little evidence of 

construction until the beginning of the new millennium. 

Even so, the site continues being associated with religion, 

and the development and diffusion of Christianity are 

elements that deeply characterize the scenario, also 

closely associated with the ancient rituals and therapeutic 

treatments linked with water. The first Christian martyrs 

were killed in water, according to a legend, Bishop Rufino 

being one of them. After the period of the barbarian 

invasions, which caused a considerable reduction in 

population, the regional layout of Assisi is characterized 

with the affirmation of Christianity, involving ancient sites 

associated with water and martyrdom. 

Water in fact becomes the symbol of life after death and its 

control takes on a liturgical nature. The territory is marked 

by the linkages between monastic and religious centres, 

settlements (eg San Vittorino, San Benedetto), and 

hermitages (eg Le Carceri). The region was subject to 

profound changes from the 11th and 12th centuries with 

the change of land ownership from important patrons to the 

classes of artisans and merchants. It also meant new types 

of cultivation and deforestation in view of new dynamism in 

development. A series of castles were built on the margins 

of the valley, and others were developed as centres of 

pastoral culture in the mountain region. In addition, there 

were new rural settlements, including the characteristic 

Umbrian building type of tower house, which remains a 

feature of all Assisi iconography until the present day. 

Through the period from the 11th to the 14th centuries, the 

ancient town of Assisi was subject to important changes. 

The development focused on four main points: Piazza del 

Mercato, Murorupto, Santa Maria Maggiore, and San 

Rufino. The market becomes the centre of noble families, 

as well as having various churches (San Nicolo, San Paolo, 

Sant'Agata). The bishop's citadel was built close to the 

ancient cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, and San Rufino 

became the new cathedral in the 11th century, rebuilt in the 

13th century. The walled area was enlarged in 1260 and 

1316, showing an increase in population.

The most important event in the history of medieval Assisi 

was undoubtedly the life and work of Francis of Assisi 

(1182-1226), who initiated the Franciscan Order, one of the 

most influential monastic orders in the Christian world, and 

who was canonized in 1228. Francis was born in Assisi 

and, although he travelled a great deal, some of the key 

references to his faith are in Assisi, including the grottoes 

of Le Carceri, San Damiano, and the Porziuncola, where he 

died. His companion, Clare, later canonized, founded the 

sister order to the Franciscans. After the canonization of 

Saint Francis, it was decided to build a monumental church 

in his honour, involving the Church of Rome as well as the 

City of Assisi. This construction was followed by the 

Basilica of Santa Chiara to honour Saint Clare. The 

construction of the Basilicas of San Francesco and Santa 

Chiara represented a new input to the urban form of the 

town, and gave the relatively small medieval settlement a 

completely new physiognomy. This included the 

development of the main square over the former forum 

area with the Temple of Minerva. The construction of the 

Basilica of San Francesco, in particular, changed the 

earlier Franciscan symbol of humility into an exaltation of 

the figure of the saint, and the order thus affirmed its 

mission in the world. The city walls were once again 

enlarged in the 14th century, when also the fort, La Rocca, 

on the top of the hill was rebuilt as part of a series of 

castles to protect the interests of the papacy in the region. 

The social and political events from the 15th to the 18th 

century left their traces in Assisi, in the form of new 

construction and improvements in management and 

draining of arable land. In the 14th and 15th centuries, 

Assisi was involved in wars with Perugia and in conflicts 

with Guelphs and Ghibellines, and the city suffered from 

sacks and fires. Through this period, however, the symbolic 

importance of Assisi in relation to Saint Francis continued. 

The first detailed town plan that has survived till today 

dates from 1599, by Giacomo Lauro, indicates Assisi as 

the patria of Saint Francis. In the late 15th century the most 

important urban project was the construction of the public 

squares in front of the Basilica of San Francesco,. In the 

16th century Galeazzo Alessi designed the large basilica 

of Santa Maria degli Angeli down in the valley, and it 

became a shelter for the Porziuncola of Saint Francis. He 

also restructured the cathedral of San Rufino and designed 

the tabernacle for the lower church of the Basilica of San 

Francesco. In the 17th and 18th centuries the city 

continued developing and a number of noble families built 

their palaces in the Baroque style. This period also 

included the church of San Francesco Converso by 

Giacomo Giorgetti in the 17th century. 

In the 19th century, the discovery of the bodies of Saint 

Francis and Saint Clare gave new vigour to construction 

activities, including the restructuring of the convents of S. 

Damiano and S. Maria di Rivotorto. There were also some 

changes in the centre of Assisi, including the new postal 

offices in the Piazza del Comune. After World War II the 

renewed interest in Assisi provided an incentive for the 

protection of the historic town and its surroundings. In 

1954, Assisi received the first conservation master plan in 

post-war Italy. At the same time, the entire municipal area 

became subject to nature protection. 


by Plane 

Airport Saint Francis of Assisi: located halfway between 

Perugia and Assisi, Umbria International Airport - Perugia St. 

Francis of Assisi is the main connection to and from the 

Green Heart of Italy - www.airport.umbria.it 

by Car 

Coming from the North: 

Highway A14 Adriatica- Exit Cesena (150 km from Assisi) and 

continue to Perugia (E 45) to the exit for Assisi. A1 highway 

del Sole - Exit: Valdichiana to reach Perugia, continue to 

Cesena (E45), until the exit for Assisi. 

Coming from the South: 

Highway A14 Adriatica - Exit Civitanova Marche continuation 

Foligno - Perugia to Assisi exit A1 highway del Sole - Exit at 

Orte, continue on the E45 towards Perugia - Cesena and exit 

at Assisi. 

by Bus 

Bus Service, Company Perugina mobility S.p.A. (APM) 

by Train 

Railway station ( FS line Foligno - Terontola) 

Santa Maria degli Angeli - Piazza Dante Alighieri



Museum of Rocca Maggiore 

Massive medieval fortress, it was built in 1365 by Cardinal 

Egidio Albornoz, then engaged in the subjugation of the major 

cities of the peninsula. It is tradition that the top of the hill was 

occupied by an acropolis since the oldest, but it was 

destroyed in 545 by the Gothic king Totila. The fortress was 

rebuilt for the first time following the conquest of Assisi by the 

imperial army led by Christian of Mainz (1174), to be knocked 

down again (1198) to prevent it from falling into the hands of 

a papal governor. The fortress built by Albornoz was enlarged 

several times with the addition of bastions, but was 

devastated by the population as a result of the unification of 

Italy (1859). The beautiful halls host reconstructions themes 

inspired by medieval life. 

Museum of Contemporary Art Happy Father Rossetti 

At the Hotel Domus Pacis of Santa Maria degli Angeli was 

exposed in 2006 an important collection of paintings and 

sculptures, assembled from the Minor Conventual Father 

Felice Rossetti thanks to the generosity of some artists. The 

museum is divided into five rooms and contains works by 

Piccolos, Ferrata, Ferrero, Slaves, Joppa, De Chirico, 

Mastroianni, Bruschi, Foxes, and many others. The 

destination of the collection is to pay homage to St. Francis, 

which has inspired countless works of art, and to witness the 

use of art as an instrument of evangelization by the Friars 

Minor. The initiative of Father Felice Rossetti has a similar 

museum in the convent of San Francesco in Viterbo. 

The Roman amphitheater of Assisi 

It is located in the district of Port Perlici (one of the eight gates 

to the city). The construction of the amphitheater dates from 

the first half of the first century AD The artifact was developed 

in two rows of bleachers in cement work, still partially 

preserved and visible. The original elliptical amphitheater is 

still visible between the garden wall that delimits the area of 

ancient and medieval buildings made from the auditorium. 

Ultimately, the Roman amphitheater is important because it is 

one of the most significant examples of reuse - in the Middle 

Ages - a structure of ancient Rome. 

Calendimaggio 

The Origins of May Day are lost in timeand linked in pagan 

customs celebrating with different rituals but all marked by 

the joy, the return of spring and then the renewal of the cycle 

of life. Demonstrations were born from the feeling of the 

ancient Umbrian people. The spirit with which conformed the 

spring festival was a hymn to love and newfound zest for life 

after the harsh and cold winter days. We danced and drank 

the wine of the previous year after the due period of rest, they 

sang. Remains were authentic poetic ones that were recited 

to pay homage to the season of flowers. Carnival of 

Wonders: The Association Assicity presents "Carnival of 

Wonders", a carnival for children and for all who the child is 

still in spite of the age. After the huge success of the first 

edition, the Association organizes floats for toddlers but not 

limited to, that go through the streets of the historic center, 

only to end up in the Town Square, where of course the party 

continues. Each track is driven by orchestras and masked 

groups matched to the subject of the wagon, are organized 

skill games, workshops for making masks with paper and 

other recycled materials, with the presence of expert makeup 

artists to give a touch of style the same masks. 

Useful links 

Useful Links: 

http://www.comune.assisi.pg.it 

Official website of the Assisi Municipality 

http://www.sitiunesco.it 

Official Website of the Italian UNESCO Heritage City

Hostels 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

AGRICOLA NIZZI, Costa di Trex, 65 

Ph.: +39 075 813378 - www.nizzi.com 

AGR.SMO CIANETTI 

Via Tescio, S.M. Angeli 

Mobile: +39 338 1444824; fax 075 8001180 

agriturismo.cianetti@gmail.com 

Agritourism, Country Houses 

AGR.SMO LA MORA, V. Fonte Citerna 7 

S.M.Angeli – Ph/fax +39 075 8041164 

www.agriturismolamora.com 

agriturismolamora@gmail.com 

AGRITURISMO LE CASE 

Voc. Le Case, 42 S. Maria di Lignano 

Ph.: +39 075 802431 – fax +39 0759480244 

www.assisiresort.com 

lecase@assisiresort.com 

AGRITURISMO PONTE ROSSO 

Via Tescio S.M. Angeli 

Mobile:3+39 38 1444824 

fax +39 075 8001180 

ALL’ANTICA MATTONATA, v, Francesca 1 

Ph.: +39 348 3126363 – fax 075 813403 

www.allanticamattonata.com 

allanticamattonata@gmail.com 

AZ. AGR IT. TORDONI DANIELA 

Via del Paduletto – Capodacqua 

Ph.: +39 075 8065810 – fax 075 8064986 

info@valledelsubasio.it 

ASSISI GARDEN, v. S. Pietro Campagna 154 

Ph.: +39 075 812328 – fax 075 8155300 

www.assisigarden.it

OSTELLI DELLA GIOVENTU’ DELLA PACE 

v. di Valecchie 4 – Ph/fax: +39 075 816767 

www.assisihostel.com 

assisi.hostel@tiscalinet.it 

FONTEMAGGIO, v. Eremo delle Carceri 24 

Ph.: +39 075 813636 – fax +39 075 813749 

www.fontemaggio.it – info@fontemaggio.it 

Rooms Rental 

ALLA MADONNA DEL PIATTO, v. Petrata 37 

Pieve S. Nicolò – Ph.: +39 075 8199050 

letizia.mattiacci@libero.it 

AL CASALE DI FRATELLO ASINO 

Via Madre Terra, 21 

Mobile: +39 328 8912112 

www.alcasaledegliulivi.it 

Bed&Breakfast 

ANTONELLA di Paoletti Patrizio 

v. Tiberio d’Assisi 12 – Ph.: 075 802431 

prenotazioni@assisiresort.com 

LA CASA DELLE FATE 

v. Metastasio 24 

Ph.: +39 075 813739 - info@itrearchi.it 

ADALGISA, v. Lorenzo Perosi, 33 

Ph.: +39 075 813378 - agricola@nizzi.com 

AL CASALINO, Via S. Rufino, 2 

Mobile: +39 347 6123213 

www.alcasalino.it – alcasalino@alice.it 

ASSISI GLAMOUR COUNTRY 

Via S. Margherita Campagna, 22 

Ph.: +39 075 812348 – fax 075 7823114 

www.assisiglamour.com 

info@assisiglamour.it 

CARFAGNA SANDRO 

v. Campiglione 1 Loc. Molinella 

Ph./fax +39 075 812266 

www.carfagnasandrocamere.it 

info@carfagnasandrocamere.it

CASTELLO DI PETRATA, v. Petrata 25 

Ph.: +39 075 815451 – fax 075 8043026 

www.castellopetrata.com 

info@castellopetrata.com 

AS EASY – AS IT SOUNDS 

v. Carducci 5/a – S. Maria degli Angeli 

Mobile +39 388 6545969 

www.aseasy.it 

info@aseasy.it 

ARCO DEL VENTO 

v. S. Maria d. Rose 1 

Ph./fax +39 075 813605 

www.arcodelvento.com 

B & B CHIARA 

Via P. Uber, 10 – Petrignano 

Ph.: +39 075 8039611 

www.bbchiara.it 

info@bbchiara.it 

AL PIAN D’ASSISI 

Via S. Martino, 14 

Ph. and fax +39 075 816362 

www.alpiandassisi.it 

info@alpiandassisi.it 

ANTICO BORGO ASSISI 

Via Petrata, 21 – Pieve S. Nicolò 

Ph. and fax +39 075 816392 

www.anticoborgoassisi.it 

info@anticoborgoassisi.it 

ARTE STUDIO GINESTRELLE 

Loc. Ginestrelle, 11 

S. Maria di Lignano 

Ph.: +39 075 802336; 

www.artestudioginestrelle.com 

marina.merli@alice.it 

B & B IN ASSISI 

Via Cimabue, 31 – S. Maria degli Angeli 

Ph.: +39 075 8040282 

www.bbassisi.it - info@bbassisi.it

Italy 

Matera, 

Benevento, 

Foggia,Trevi, 


Monumental Area and 

the monastic complex 

of St. Salvatore and 

St. Giulia, Brescia 

Description 

The area for which a nomination is being submitted 

includes the vast Monumental area with Monastic 

complex of San Salvatore–Santa Giulia, where the traces 

of Longobard presence in Brescia are most evident. 

Here, the evergetism of the royal family came to 

expression in the architectural grandeur of the 

Monastery of Santa Giulia-San Salvatore and in the 

refinement of its decorative apparatus.Both the 

Monumental area and the Monastic complex looked 

back to architectural and decorative examples that had 

already been developed in the capital at Pavia, and then 

at Cividale del Friuli, it was adopted here by secular and 

ecclesiastical patrons as the model for their buildings of 

restige.The decorations are of outstanding importance; 

the stucco ceiling panels in the side-aisles can be seen 

as an illustrious antecedent of the renaissance coffered 

ceiling. in the overall arrangements it is possible to 

recognise the traditions of northern european (British 

and Germanic), the Mediterranean (Ravenna, Rome), 

and the East.Nominated property comprises the 

Longobard Church and the Crypt of San Salvatore, built 

at the behest of Desiderius and Ansa, and incorporated 

with other artefacts by later additions to the convent 

(including the church of Santa Giulia, the Church of 

Santa Maria in Solario, the nuns’ choir, three cloisters 

and a courtyard) and other remains from the Longobard 

period in the area to the West of the Monastery, built over 

the extraordinary remains of the roman buildings. 

Monumental area 

To the West of the monastic complex lies an Monumental 

archaeological area closely linked to the events affecting 

San Salvatore-Santa Giulia at the time between Late 

Antiquity period and early Middle Ages. The 

Archaeological area includes the area to the north of the 

Forum, namely, the heart of the ancient roman city, 

where all main functions were concentrated, be they 


eligious, commercial, political or relating to the law. The 

public buildings, used to overlook the decumanus 

maximus, the ancient city’s main street. A section of the 

street’s original paving is still visible today, and shares 

the same route with today’s Via dei Musei, which 

constitutes the southern boundary of the San Salvatore- 

Santa Giulia complex. 

The Republican Santuary 

The most ancient religious building dates back to the 

second quarter of the 1st century A.D., thus to 

Republican times. Archaeological campaigns carried out 

since 1823 to the present have made it possible to 

define the building’s overall plan. The building 

comprised four halls, flanking each other, covered with a 

barrel vault and placed on a podium, each with its 

independent monumental access. The interior of each 

hall was decorated with hellenistic style frescoes, which 

can be compared to the frescoes in Pompei showing a 

transitional style, showing elements belonging to both 

the so-called first and second style. The high quality of 

these works suggests these were workmen possibly 

coming from Rome itself or from the area surrounding 

the Vesuvius. 

The Capitolium 

The Capitolium, built in 73 A.C., was dedicated to 

emperor Vespasian and dedicated to the cult of the socalled 

Capitoline Triad (Jove, Juno and Minerva).The 

building is characterized by a high podium; the 

prominent pronaos is conceived as a continuation of the 

lateral portico which act as boundaries of the Temple’s 

terrace, the same portica on the southern side, crossed 

the decumanus maximus and stretched out this way to 

surround the open space constituted by the Forum and 

the basilica, the southernmost building in the Forum 

complex.The Capitolium, whose architectural elements 

belong to the corinthian order, was built using local 

limestone; for the paving of the halls imported 

polychrome marble was used. The resulting sectilia 

floorings, work of great quality and luxury are visible in 

the central and in the Western cell. The building was 

excavated between 1823 and 1830; its elevation was 

partly reconstructed and the Museo Patrio, the city’s first 

museum, was placed inside. 

The Roman Theater 

To the east of Temple lie the remains of the Roman 

Theatre, a building used for public spectacles. Here, an 

early phase, dating back to the time of Augustus, was 

followed by an enlargement during the Flavian period, 

which went hand in hand with the erection of the nearby 

Capitolium. The cavea held spectators’ seating, and 

vaulted corridors to reach the various sectors, and was 

built to ensure the hill behind acted as a support. 

Between the cavea and the decumanus maximus the 

frons scenae was built. This acted as the backdrop 

against which the dramatic action unfolded; the lower 

levels of the frons scenae, which must have been quite 

imposing, still survive to this day thanks to a quantity of 

architectural fragments and precious decorations, which 

can be dated to the severan period (end of the 2nd 

beginning of the 3rd century AD), when this part of the 

building was modified and enriched. 

After Rome 

Except the Republican Sanctuary, which was 

superseded by the Capitolium of 73 A.D., all the Forum 

buildings remained in use probably up to the 4th century 

A.D. As in the case of many other cities, Brescia looses 

its function and importance and a long period of 

degradation begins. The roman city has originally been 

divided according to functions into different sectors, but 

now this distinction disappears. As also occurred in the 

San Salvatore-Santa Giulia area, here too the total 

promiscuity of buildings, burials, and craftsmenlike 

activities are in evidence. The single buildings had a 

slightly different fate, which partly depended on their 

original function and on their monumental form. The 

signs indicating a change of function and use are mostly 

visible in the western portico of the Capitolium.The 

Theatre, on account of its less direct link to the pagan 

religion and for its same shape was used to contain 

large numbers of people at least up to the Late Medieval 

period, and was used as a place for public meetings. 

This public meetings area was however quite small 

compared to the roman building’s size. The building’s 

abandoned areas and neighbouring buildings were thus 

deprived of their stone, marble and brick masonry. The 

result of these demolitions are large

dumps of debris which archaeological surveys have 

identified in the whole area. over this layer, as in the 

nearby temple, a brick firing plant datable between the 

Late Antique and the early Longobard period has been 

found. 

Burial Ground 

Another area of the same theatre was used as a burial 

ground which surely dates from the Longobard period. It 

includes four rectangular burials bordered by small 

stone walls and capuchin-type coverings, as well as 19 

later tombs, associated in a building composed of 

“roughly squared blocks” whose function has not been 

identified yet. In the area of the frons scenae there are 

also levels which were freed and regularized to 

accomodate simple habitations, where levels of use and 

hearths are documented. In particular in the area to the 

west traces of fires and degradation, pits for pole 

supports and fire hearths used for habitation purposes 

have been found and are related to the levels of the 

burial and with the ones comprising Longobard 

ceramics. A relatively high number of productive 

structures are present in the area of the Capitolium and 

in the Theatre, and seem to indicate these could be 

under the control of public authority. Surely such 

authority should be identified as a royal representative, 

who lived at the royal court (corresponding today to the 

area of the Monastery of San Salvatore-Santa Giulia), 

from whom this area of the city actually depended. 


By Car 

Brescia is located in a strategic position, just a short 

distance from Milan and Venice and at the intersection of 

major European corridors that connect France to Austria 

(from west to east) and Germany and Central Europe in 

Rome (from North to South). 

From Turin and Milan A4 highway exit Brescia Centro (the 

city). Alternatively, take the A21 highway from Turin. 

From Venice or Verona A4 highway towards Milan and exit 

at Brescia Centro. 

From Bologna, Florence or Rome, take the A1 to Modena, 

continue on the A22 to Verona and then the A4 to Brescia 

Centro. 

From Genoa and Liguria in Tortona take the A7 highway 

and continue on the A21 to the destination. 

By bus 

Brescia and the main tourist resorts can be reached by bus 

from Italy and Europe. The bus station is located in 

Brescia, close to the train station. Here are a few 

operators: 

www.eurolines.com 

www.autostradale.it 

An efficient network of buses internal to the province of 

Brescia then allows you to reach all the main towns. 

www.trasportibrescia.it 

By Train 

Brescia is the midpoint of a circuit of cities such as Verona, 

Trento, Bergamo, Milan, Mantua and Cremona. Brescia 

and its lakes thus become the perfect place to stay and 

from which to these destinations, shopping or attend 

concerts. The geographical location, landscape aspects, 

the historical, artistic, cultural, but also the food and wine, 

events, infrastructure make the province of Brescia, an 

area with high tourist vocation. 

Line Brenner Modena 

Milan-Venice line 

Line Brescia Parma 

www.trenitalia.it 

www.trenord.it 

By plane 

Verona Villafranca 

Valerio Catullo (50 km) 

www.aeroportoverona.it 

Brescia Montichiari 

G. D' Annunzio (15 miles) 

www.aeroportobrescia.it 

Bergamo Orio al Serio ( 60 km) 

www.sacbo.it 

Milan Linate and Malpensa (100 km) 

www.sea- aeroportimilano.it 

Venice Marco Polo Airport (180 km) 

www.veniceairport.it



CASTLES IN THE PROVINCE OF BRESCIA. The Castle 

of Brescia, first of all, and that in defense of the medieval 

town of Sirmione: romantic, scenic, majestic. And then the 

fortresses of Breno and Padenghe and Padernello and 

those that dot the hills of Franciacorta. Ancient fortresses 

that now houses private homes or prestigious wineries that 

produce and sell to the public the great wines of 

Franciacorta. Places to visit and to dream. 

THE GREAT THEATRE OF BRESCIA. The current hall of 

the Grand Theatre was built in 1810 by architect Luigi 

Canonica and was decorated in 1862 by the hand of 

Girolamo Magnani. Remarkable is also the ceiling of the 

hall of today Reduced, with faux balustrade overlooking the 

sky animated by numerous figures of the Olympian gods . 

The Grand Foyer , opened in 1772, is one of the most 

remarkable examples of eighteenth-century architectural 

splendor applied to a structure of the show. Trivia: Madama 

Butterfly by Puccini was greeted enthusiastically at the 

Teatro Grande in Brescia on May 28, 1904 , after the failure 

of the first performance at La Scala . From there he began 

his luck. the billboard of the theater, between tradition and 

modernity , ranging between performances of opera , 

dance, music and cultural events. The great theater also 

hosts every year in spring the International Piano Festival of 

Brescia and Bergamo , one of the world's largest events 

on the piano www.teatrogrande.it - www.festivalpianistico.it 

ART GALLERIES. Along with a strong tradition of public 

institutions, the province of Brescia is a land of important 

private galleries. The Galleria Massimo Minini from 1973 is 

among the most important in the world and is home to 

artists such as Anish Kapoor, Sol Lewitt, Jan Fabre, 

Maurizio Cattelan, Vanessa Beecroft, just to name a few. 

Next to it in recent years has developed a thriving market 

of galleries of contemporary art and p h o t o g r a p h y , 

concentrated particularly in the quadrangle between Tybalt 

Brusato Square, Via Museums, Piazza Duomo and Via 

Tosio in Brescia. 

THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY. The city is home to the 

Museum of the Benedictine monastery of San Salvatore - 

Santa Giulia, founded in 753 AD by the Lombard king 

Desiderius. It occupies the north-eastern area of the 

ancient city , where, over the centuries , have overlapped 

and layered significant archaeological and monumental. 

Santa Giulia City Museum - Via Museums, 81 / b - 25121 

Brescia Tel 030 297 7833 / 7834 Fax 030 297 8222 

www.bresciamusei.com 

INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL OF BRESCIA AND 

BERGAMO. The International Piano Festival of Brescia 

and Bergamo is considered one of the world's most 

important festival dedicated to the piano. In 1986 he was 

awarded the Premio Abbiati Italian Music Critics and 

awarded the Liszt Medal of the Hungarian Ministry of 

Culture. Since 1988 belongs to the Association 

Européenne des Festivals. Co-Founder Federfestival (now 

Italiafestival), is placed under the High Patronage of the 

President of the Italian Republic, and on the occasion of 

the presentation of the XXIX in Strasbourg has obtained the 

patronage of the President of the European Parliament. 

Born in 1964 as a tribute to the great pianist Arturo 

Benedetti Michelangeli in Brescia birth, on the initiative of 

the Master Augustine Orizio - who is still the artistic director 

- w a s q u i c k l y e x t e n d e d t o B e r g a m o . I n f o : 

www.festivalpianistico.it 

Gardone: FESTIVAL OF VITTORIALE. "A marble basin 

under the stars" is how the poet Gabriele d'Annunzio 

imagined the ideal theater to represent their shows, of 

course nestled in the frame splendia Vittoriale example of 

one of Wagner in Bayreuth. Should have been called 

"Parlaggio". It was the poet himself who chose the place : 

a vantage point of the park, where you can admire the 

Isola del Garda, Monte Baldo, the peninsula of Sirmione 

and , above all, the impressive Rock of Manerba - where 

Goethe seems to recognize the profile of Dante. In 1931 

the poet 's work entrusted to the architect of the Vittoriale, 

Gian Carlo Maroni, who sent in Pompeii because he 

thought the new construction on the example of the 

Roman world's oldest. Work began between '34 and '35, 

but were soon interrupted due to financial difficulties, 

exacerbated the beginning of the war and the death of the 

poet. Taken by the will of the Foundation twenty years later, 

in '52 , they finished the following year, to the architect 

Mario Moretti and Italo Maroni , brother of Gian Carlo. On 8 

August 1953, the theater was solemnly opened with a 

concert by the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala 

conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini. Today it houses a season 

with international stars of music, theater, dance. Info: 

www.anfiteatrodelvittoriale.it 

Useful links: http://www.bresciatourism.it/

Belgium 

Belfries of 

Belgium and 

France 

and also… 

Mechelen, 

Gent, Leuven, 

Brugge 

Belfries of Belgium and 

France 

Description 

Belfries are outstanding representatives of civic and 

public architecture in Europe. Through the variety of their 

'functional' forms and the changes they have undergone 

they have been a vital aspect of civic architecture in 

Europe since the 13th century. They are unique 

constructions reflecting the development of civil authority 

that marked the history of Flanders (in its historical sense) 

from the Middle Ages onwards. Referring originally to 

mobile wooden towers used in siege warfare, the term 

was later applied to the wooden watchtowers mounted on 

the palisades surrounding the ports or pre-urban centres. 

It was to be applied in particular to those housing bells or 

standing next to the bell tower. Palisades, bells and the 

right to possess bells are all closely associated with the 

development of urban life. 

The 31 belfries in Flanders and Wallonia and the 23 in 

north-eastern France, invariably found in an urban 

setting, are imposing bell towers of medieval origin, 

generally attached to the town hall and occasionally to a 

church. In addition to their outstanding artistic value, the 

belfries are potent symbols of the transition from 

feudalism to the mercantile urban society that played a 

vital role in the development of late medieval Europe. 

The belfries are both civic buildings and symbols, and 

highly significant tokens of the achievement of civil 

liberties acquired through the dissolution the abbeys that 

had remained sovereign since the high Middle Ages. 

The early belfries of the 13th and early 14th centuries are 

strongly reminiscent of the seigniorial keep, from which 

they take their massive square form, elevations showing 

sparing use of openings, and rising stories built on or 

designed for vaulting. The main shaft is topped by a wall 

walk and parapet running between bartizans: the central 

spire features a slate campanile roof and variations on a 

number of forms. The finials of the corner and central 

turrets are decorated with animals or symbolic 

characters protecting the commune. The 13th-century 

belfry of Ieper (Ypres) is a fine example of this type, 

although it forms part of the market hall complex later to 

include the town hall, construction of which continued 

down to the 17th century. Most of the examples 


concerned cover the periods of the 14th-15th and 

16th-17th centuries, thereby offering an illustration of the 

transition in style from Norman Gothic to later Gothic, 

which then mingles with Renaissance and Baroque 

forms. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the belfries 

abandoned the model of the keep in favor of finer, taller 

towers, such as those of Dendermonde, Lier and Aalst. 

The subsequent addition to the top of the shaft of a 

narrower, different shape to serve as the base for the 

campanile would give the desired monumental effect, 

and the roof itself would take on more bulbous, 

sometimes extended lines, as in the case of Veurne 

(17th century). When the market halls and belfries grew 

too small to function as a meeting-place for the 

aldermen, a new type of building was required, the Hôtel 

de Ville (town hall), clearly designed in accordance with 

the administrative organization and, from the 15th and 

16th centuries onwards, assuming an obvious 

representative role achieved by incorporating the 

symbolic belfry, as in the examples of Brussels and 

Oudenaarde. Their construction often took place in 

several stages, but they have always been maintained in 

good overall order. Some, damaged by war, have been 

rebuilt, generally in identical form. All are listed as 

historic monuments, either in isolation or as part of an 

edifice, a square, or an urban site. 


The most accessible belfries in Flanders are located in the 

five art cities: Antwerpen, Brugge, Gent, Leuven, and 

Mechelen. The other sites can be visited equally, but it is 

rather difficult to reach them using public transport. If you 

wish to visit several belfries in smaller cities, it is 

recommended to rent a car. 

Flanders by plane. Train shuttle service is located on the 

lower level of Brussels International Airport and connects to 

the city of Brussels in 20 minutes and to Antwerp in 35 

minutes. Buy your ticket before getting on the train to avoid 

a surcharge fee. Busses are located on level 0. Every hour 

the Brussels Airport - Antwerp Express takes you to the 

city center of Antwerp in 45 minutes. On weekdays and 

Saturdays the first departure is at 5:00 a.m., the last 

departure at 12 midnight. On Sundays the first departure is 

at 7:00 a.m. and the last at 12 midnight. Taxi service is also 

available from the airport. 

Flanders by train. Getting to Flanders is easy. Brussels is 

the heart of Europe. London, Paris and Amsterdam are all 

less than two hours away. In the US, contact Rail Europe 

for more information on international train services. London 

The Eurostar train links London and Brussels in 1h51 

minutes. Trains depart/arrive at the Brussels South Station 

(Bruxelles Midi/Brussel Zuid) and depart/arrive at the 

London St. Pancras International Terminal. Up to 9 daily 

departures. Reserve your Eurostar seat in advance: Rail 

Europe or B-Europe. 

Paris. The Thalys train links Paris and Brussels in 85 

minutes. There are 25 Thalys trains departing daily. Trains 

depart/arrive at the Brussels South Station (Bruxelles Midi/ 

Brussel Zuid) and depart/arrive at the Paris North Station 

(Paris Nord) or at the Charles De Gaulle Airport. 

Amsterdam. The Thalys also links Brussels to Amsterdam 

in 1h52 minutes. Reserve your Thalys seat in advance: Rail 

Europe or B-Europe. Domestic Train Travel Seat 

reservations are not available on Belgian trains (except for 

groups). The first train leaves at approximately 5:00 am and 

the last one departs at approximately 11:00 pm. For 

amenities, visit: http://www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx 

The Belgian Rail offers different specials and passes. To 

find out what the right ticket is for you, visit: http:// 

www.belgianrail.be/en/travel-tickets/which-is-the-rightticket-for-me.aspx 



MECHELEN. HANSWIJK PROCESSION. After the 

successful jubilee celebration of Hanswijk - with the 12th 

Hanswijk cavalcade - now a completely renewed Hanswijk 

procession. Giving a positive answer to many questions of 

life, giving a "Yes" answer to God. All these answers were 

given to questions asked through the ages : Where do 

people go What are we on earth for Dynamics, sounds 

and colors, dances and words, beauty and artisticity. An 

attractive procession with about 2.000 actors and a lot of 

fellow workers. Come and see! Sunday 18 May 2014; 

Grote Markt, Mechelen

MECHELEN HEARS VOICES. Enchantment, adventure 

and memorable encounters. Never-to-be-forgotten 

concerts of music for a modern-day audience. For three 

whole weeks some of the best voices will be in Mechelen 

for your pleasure. More than at any other time, you will 

hear classical vocal music outside the concert halls. Voices 

will tap you on the shoulder when you are least expecting 

it. And if we are in a concert hall, it will feed the music and 

intensify the magic between musician and audience. April- 

May; various locations. USE-IT Get the map http:// 

www.use-it.be/mechelen/ 

GHENT. GHENT FESTIVITIES / GENTSE FEESTEN. 

After more than 160 years of existence, the Ghent 

Festivities have become one of the best festivals in Europe. 

Four international festivals take place there over a period of 

ten days, with free music on 10 squares, children’s 

entertainment at various different locations in the city and 

hundreds of indoor and outdoor activities. In 2014, for the 

first time, the festival will start on Friday evening and end 

on Sunday evening. From Friday, July 18, 2014 to Sunday, 

July 27, 2014; inner city of Ghent 

FILM FEST GHENT. Every year Ghent film festival 

presents some 200 feature films and short films from 

around the globe. The festival enjoys an excellent 

international reputation and is quite unique in focusing on 

the impact of music on film. The International Film Festival 

of Flanders Ghent is also the organizer and driving force 

behind the World Soundtrack Academy. The awards 

ceremony is inevitably the high point of the festival. Every 

year the festival also organizes concerts of film music and 

exhibitions which have a link with film. From Tuesday, 

October 14, 2014 to Saturday, October 25, 2014; various 

movie theatres and locations in Ghent 

LIGHT FESTIVAL GHENT. In recent years the City of 

Ghent has invested heavily in scenic lighting for the city 

centre. The Ghent lighting plan has also received 

international awards. The Light Festival wishes to highlight 

this lighting plan and give visitors the opportunity to catch a 

glimpse of Ghent’s unique hidden charm. The next edition 

of the Light Festival in Ghent will be in spring 2015. From 

that moment on it will be a festival that takes place every 

three years on various locations in the city. 

MID-LENT FUN FAIR. Young and old meet to enjoy the 

colourful whirlwind of fairground attractions: luna parks, 

roller coasters, merry- go-rounds and dodgems. How can 

you resist! End of March, beginning of April; Sint- 

Pietersplein, Ghent. 

ODE GAND / GENT FESTIVAL. OdeGand is a 

celebration of music on and along Ghent’s canals. Travel 

by boat from one concert to the next and enjoy concerts of 

all genres (flamenco, jazz, classical music,...). One ticket 

grants you access to all boats as well as to over 50 

concerts. Don’t miss our breath-taking musical happening 

at Graslei and Korenlei later that night. September 2014; 

various locations in the city. USE-IT GHENT Get the map at 

http://www.use-it.be/ghent/ 

LEUVEN. LEUVEN JAZZ. Concerts, exhibitions, lectures, 

free podium. A mixture of young talents and great artists. 

March; various locations 

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 

DOCVILLE. Enjoy a selection of the best national and 

international documentaries in various locations throughout 

the city. All films are in English or with English subtitles. 

April-May; various locations 

BEER FESTIVAL. During the last weekend of April, 

Leuven will demonstrate why it's known as the beer 

capital. The city will open all the taps during this 

unforgettable beer weekend. Enhoy tastings, brewery 

visits, workshops and delicious beer- based dishes. 

Leuven's hotels also offer various beer packages. Last 

weekend of April; various locations, Leuven 

BELEUVENISSEN. In 2014, this free music festival is 

organised for the 26th year running, with concerts in four 

locations in the historic city centre. On the programme: 

national and international music in open air in Grote Markt, 

Oude Markt, Vismarkt and Mathieu de Layensplein. 3 

Fridays in July and August; various locations 

M-IDZOMER. Unique summer festival in the atmospheric 

enclosed garden of MMuseum Leuven with concerts, 

comedy, performance, dance, spoken word and visual art. 

August; MMuseum, Leuven

PLAYGROUND. Festival in which renowned international 

artists present their most fascinating performances and 

exhibitions. November; STUK, Leuven 

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL LEUVEN 

IKL. The International Short Film Festival presents a wide 

selection of excellent short films, including fiction and 

animation, documentaries, experimental films and video 

clips. The emphasis is on the Flemish and European short 

film competitions. In addition, the International Short Film 

Festival Leuven spares no expense on children’s films, 

retrospective programmes and specials every year. All films 

are either in English or subtitled. The entire programme is 

available starting in early November at 

www.kortfilmfestival.be Beginning of December; various 

locations. USE-IT Get the free map at http://www.useit.be/leuven/ 

BRUGGE. JAZZ BRUGGE. Biannual Jazz Festival when 

Bruges becomes the Mecca of European Jazz. Always 

flirting with adventurous and contemporary jazz, thereby 

striving for top quality, the Jazz Festival treats us to a 

carefully thought-out selection of some twenty European 

ensembles from all over the old continent over the period 

of four days. From Thursday, October 2, 2014 to Sunday, 

October 5, 2014; various venues in Bruges 

KLINKERS. Klinkers sets the tone for the Bruges summer! 

For two weeks, Bruges city centre forms the backdrop for 

musical and other fireworks. BENENWERK – BALLROOM 

BRUGEOISE is the icing on the cake of the Bruges city 

festival Klinkers. Every year, this festive 14-day event is 

concluded in true style with a large, free dance party. With 

eleven indoor and outdoor stages, showing many types of 

dance music all over the historical city centre, Klinkers 

seeks to break the record of largest dance floor in 

Flanders. From Friday, July 25, 2014 to Saturday, August 

9, 2014; Markt, Bruges 

HOLY BLOOD PROCESSION. The Procession of the 

Holy Blood, which certainly dates back to 1304, is held 

every year on Ascension Day. Despite the changes that the 

procession has undergone throughout the centuries, the 

most profound spirituality prevails through the memory of 

the suffering of Jesus Christ. Following the Jubilee (2000) 

the procession has been renewed and updated. From 

Thursday, May 29, 2014 to Thursday, May 29, 2014; 

Basilica of St Basil, Burg Square, Markt Square and streets 

in the center of Bruges 

CACTUS FESTIVAL. Cactus is a festival on a human 

scale, in a relaxed atmosphere, which deliberately 

dissociates itself from the trends towards 'more' and 

'bigger'. You will not suffer any agonising dilemmas, as 

Cactus opts for one stage, which means the audience can 

watch the programme from start to finish. An atmospheric 

festival that manages to titillate the senses off-stage too, 

with fresh animation and appropriate decoration. A venue 

where reputed musicians, musical innovators of the future 

and a musically open-minded audience come together. 

From Friday, July 11, 2014 to Sunday, July 13, 2014 ; 

Minnewaterpark, Bruges. USE-IT BRUGGE Get the map at 

http://www.use-it.be/bruges/ 

MARKTROCK. Three days of rock and festival in the city. 

Around 15 August; various lcocations

Mechelen 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Youth hostel De Zandpoort; 

Zandpoortvest 70, 2800 Mechelen 

http://www.mechelen-hostel.com 

mechelen@vjh.be +32 15 27 85 39 

B&B ’t Plein 

Gijsbeekstraat 61, 2811 Mechelen 

http://www.tplein.be 

tplein1@telenet.be 

+32 15 43 11 22 

B&B Dusk Till Dawn 

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 81, 2800 

Mechelen http://www.dusktilldawn.be 

info@dusktilldawn.be +32 15 43 29 22 

B&B Fran Van Buggenhout 

Straatje zonder Einde 3, 2800 

Mechelen http://www.rentrooms.be 

fran.ronny@skynet.be +32 15 43 05 99 

Guesthouse Komzo 

Stuivenbergbaan 240, 2800 Mechelen 

http://www.komzo.be 

B&B Jan Bol 

Jan Bolstraat 23, 2800 Mechelen 

http://www.janbol.be info@janbol.be 

+32 15 34 40 99

Gent 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

B&B Au contraire 

Monterreystraat 38-40, 9000 Gent 

http://www.aucontraire.be 

info@aucontraire.be +32 92211080 

B&B Goeiemorgen 

Stropstraat 126, 9000 Gent 

http://www.goeiemorgen.eu 

elsplyson@hotmail.com +32 92210354 

B&B Fred & Breakfast 

Coupure Links 645, 9000 Gent 

http://www.fredandbreakfast.be 

info@fredandbreakfast.be 

B&B Portus Ganda 

Keizer Karelstraat 97, 9000 Gent 

ro.dewaele@skynet.be 

+32 9 223 97 73 

B&B Betracie & Marcus 

Wolterslaan 183, 9040 Gent 

marcus_hoogveld@scarlet.be 

+32 9 238 10 65 

B&B Faja Lobi, Tarbotstraat 31 

9000 Gent http://www.fajalobi.be - 

fajalobigent@telenet.be 

+32 9 223 55 33 

Hostel De Draecke 

Sint-Widostraat 11, 9000 Gent 

roger.van.kelst@vjh.be +3292327218 

KaBa Hostel 

Filips van Arteveldestraat 35, 9000 

Gent http://www.kabahostel.be 

info@kabahostel.be +3292335333

Hostel De Blauwput 

Martelarenlaan 11, 3010 Leuven 

http://www.jeugdherbergen.be 

yannic.ulens@gmail.com +3216639092 

Leuven 

B&B De Kapel Baron August de Becker 

Remyplein 51, 3010 Leuven 

http://www.dekapelleuven.be 

an.smout@telenet.be +32 16 23 53 61 

Bauhaus Hostel (St. Christopher’s Hostel) 

Langestraat 133, 8000 Brugge 

http://www.bauhaus.be 

ludo@bauhaus.be +32 50 34 10 93 

Brugge 

International Youth Hostel Europa 

Baron Ruzettelaan 143, 8310 Brugge 

(Assebroek)brugge@vjh.be +32 50 352679 

B&B Ardewolf, Oost-Proosse 9, 8000 

Brugge info@ardewolf.be +32 50 33 83 6 

B&B Christiane Blondeel 

Sint-Clarastraat 47, 8000 Brugge 

christiane.blondeel@telenet.be 

+32 50 67 83 65 

B&B La Maison Zenasni 

Riddersstraat 10 8000 Brugge 

info@lamaison-zenasni.be 

+32 478 23 21 07 

B&B Marie-Paule Gesquiere 

Oost-Proosse 14, 8000 Brugge 

mariepaulegesquiere@hotmail.com 

+32 50 33 92 46 

B&B St. Jacobs 

Oude Zak 20, 8000 Brugge 

+32 50 67 73 99 

Snuffel Backpackers Hoste 

Ezelstraat 47-49, 8000 Brugge 

info@snuffel.be +32 50 333133

The Netherlands 

Amsterdam 

Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC 

Seventeenth- 

Century Canal 

Ring Area of 

Amsterdam inside 

the Singelgracht 

Description 

The historic urban ensemble of the canal district of 

Amsterdam was a project for a new ‘port city’ built at the 

end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. It 

comprises a network of canals to the west and south of the 

historic old town and the medieval port that encircled the 

old town and was accompanied by the repositioning inland 

of the city’s fortified boundaries, the Singelgracht. This was 

a long-term programme that involved extending the city by 

draining the swampland, using a system of canals in 

concentric arcs and filling in the intermediate spaces. 

These spaces allowed the development of a homogeneous 

urban ensemble including gabled houses and numerous 

monuments. This urban extension was the largest and 

most homogeneous of its time. It was a model of largescale 

town planning, and served as a reference throughout 

the world until the 19th century. The Amsterdam Canal 

District illustrates exemplary hydraulic and urban planning 

on a large scale through the entirely artificial creation of a 

large-scale port city. The gabled facades are characteristic 

of this middle-class environment, and the dwellings bear 

witness both to the city’s enrichment through maritime 

trade and the development of a humanist and tolerant 

culture linked to the Calvinist Reformation. In the 17th and 

18th centuries, Amsterdam was seen as the realization of 

the ideal city that was used as a reference urban model for 

numerous projects for new cities around the world. 

The Begijnhof (Begijnhof 30, Amsterdam). The Begijnhof 

was built in the 14th century as a residence for the 

Begijntes (Beguines), a Catholic order of unmarried or 

widowed women who wished to live a pious life of service 

without becoming nuns. The Beguines received free 

lodging in return for caring for the sick and the educating 

the poor of Amsterdam. One resident, Cornelia Arens, so 

loved the Begijnhof that she humbly asked to be buried in 

the gutter in 1654. She lies under the slab of red granite on 

the walkway on the left side of De Engelse Kerk. The last 

Beguine here died in the 1970s. As part of the "Alteration"

of 1578, the main church in the courtyard was confiscated 

from the Catholic Begijns for Protestant use. It was given to 

the Pilgrim Fathers during their brief stay in Amsterdam in 

1607. The Beguines went without a church for a century, 

but in 1671 began construction on their own Catholic 

chapel in the Begijnhof. The "secret" chapel was actually 

authorized by the Protestant authorities, but its exterior had 

to be hidden from public view. 

The Portuguese Synagoge. Sephardic Jews fleeing Spain 

and Portugal during the persecutions of the 16th and early 

17th centuries settled in an eastern Amsterdam 

neighborhood that became known as the Jewish Quarter. 

In light of the ongoing conflict between the Dutch Republic 

and Spain, the community referred to themselves as 

"Portuguese Jews." In 1665, the Portuguese Jewish 

Community commissioned the Portugees-Israëlietische 

Synagoge, an elegant brick structure within an existing 

courtyard. Construction took place from 1671 to 1675 

under Elias Bouwman and Danield Stalpaer, and once 

completed it was the largest synagogue in the world. 

Today, there are 15-20,000 Jews living in Amsterdam and 

the Portuguese Jewish Community has around 600 

contributing members. 

The Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum is housed in a 

complex of four Ashkenazi synagogues dating from the 

17th and 18th centuries. In the 17th century, Ashkenazi 

Jews began fleeing the pogroms in Central and Eastern 

Europe and many found refuge in the tolerant Dutch 

Republic. The Museum documents the 400-year history of 

the Jewish people in Amsterdam and the Netherlands, 

covering themes such as Jewish identity, religion and 

culture as well as Jewish history in the Netherlands. 

The Nieuwe kerk. the New Church was begun in the 14th 

century and sponsored by the middle-class merchants of 

Amsterdam. They tried very hard to outdo the Oude Kerk, 

which was recognized by the Bishop of Utrecht. At one 

point the Oude Kerk boasted a whopping 38 pulpits 

against the Nieuwe Kerk's 36, but Nieuwe Kerk wins the 

quality-over-quantity prize for its still-existing pulpit 

sculpted by Albert Vinckenbrinck, which took him 19 years 

to complete. 


Amsterdam is a world-class international transport hub so are 

countless the ways of getting into the city. Many travellers fly 

into the award-winning Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, but also 

the train is a great option – convenient and cost effective, the 

rail network in the Netherlands is second to none. The road 

network provides easy access to Amsterdam for those keen 

to travel by car or coach. 

Amsterdam by train. If arriving in Amsterdam by train, it's 

likely that your journey will terminate at Amsterdam Central 

Station. From there it is simple to complete your journey with 

public transport or taxi. If you are travelling from another 

station in the Netherlands, it's possible that you can choose 

another Amsterdam train station nearer your accommodation. 

Amsterdam by car. Each year, about one million visitors arrive 

in Amsterdam by car. While the city is very hospitable to 

drivers, the inner city is quite an enclosed area. Before arriving, 

it is advisable to learn about the city's motorways, roads and 

parking options in order to make the most of your trip. 

Amsterdam by boat. Amsterdam is a major hub for 

transport and travel and still continues to receive millions of 

visitors each year who arrive by boat. Considering that the 

Dutch have been a sea-faring nation for centuries, this is quite 

an appropriate gateway to the city. Whether you're 

disembarking from a cruise ship or private sail boat, find out 

how to best reach the city from the water. 



Amsterdam is home to many of the world's most famous 

museums. No trip to the city is complete without (at least) a 

visit to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk 

Museum or Anne Frank House. 

The city also has a multitude of treasures outside of the 

Museum District. From unusual museums about cats to an 

amazing collection of handbags, plus photography, 

archaeology and more, Amsterdam has museums and 

galleries to suit every type of interest. Check out I 

amsterdam’s selection of current exhibitions, museums and 

galleries below.

Makers of the History…


itinerary 

Makers of 

the History 

Chasing the true Spirit 

of Europe, to find the path 

to the history… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netherlands 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portugal, 

Italy, 

 

 

Austria,

Portugal 

Elvas and its fortifications 

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th 

centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch 

system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains 

barracks and other military buildings as well as 

churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains 

dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began 

when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The 

fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander 

represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of 

fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira 

aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy 

sieges. 

Guarding the key border crossing between Portugal’s capital 

Lisbon and Spain’s capital Madrid, in an undulating, riverine 

landscape, the Garrison Town of Elvas was fortified extensively from 

the 17th to the 19th centuries to become the largest bulwarked dry 

ditch system in the world, with outlying forts built on surrounding hills 

to accommodate the changing needs of defensive warfare. 

The town was supplied with water by the 7km-long Amoreira Aqueduct, 

built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and a key feature enabling the 

stronghold to withstand a lengthy siege. Within the walls, the town contains 

extensive barracks and other military buildings, as well as churches and 

monasteries, some adapted to military functions. The property includes seven 

components: the Historic Centre, the Amoreira Aqueduct, the Fort of Santa 

Luzia, and the covered way linking it to the Historic Centre, the Fort of Graça, 

and the Fortlets of São Mamede, São Pedro and São Domingos. 

The historic centre with its castle, remnant walls and civil and religious buildings 

demonstrate the development of Elvas as three successive walled towns from the 

10th to the 14th century and its subsequent incorporation into the major fortification 

works of the Portuguese War of the Restoration period (1641-68), when a wide range 

of military buildings were built for its role as a garrison town. 

The bulwarked fortifications of the town and the outlying Fort of Santa Luzia and Graça 

and fortlets of São Mamede, São Pedro and São Domingos reflect the evolution of the 

Dutch system of fortification into an outstanding dry-ditch defence system. 

These surviving fortifications were begun in 1643 and 

comprise twelve forts inserted in an irregular polygon, 

roughly centred on the castle and making use of a 

landscape of hills. The bulwarks are battered, surrounded 

by a dry ditch and counterscarp and further protected by 

a number of ravelins. The fortifications were designed by 

the Dutch Jesuit Cosmander, based on the treaties of 

fortification engineer Samuel Marolois, whose work 

together with that of Simon Stevin and Adam Fritach 

launched the Dutch school of fortification worldwide. 

Cosmander applied the geometric theory of Marolois to 

the irregular topography of Elvas, to produce a defensive 

system considered a masterpiece of its time. 

In the 18th century the Fort of Graça was constructed in 

response to the development of longer-range artillery, as 

well as four fortlets to the west. 

As the remains of an enormous war fortress, Elvas is 

exceptional as a military landscape with visual and 

functional relationships between its fortifications, 

representing developments in military architecture and 

technology drawn from Dutch, Italian, French and English 

military theory and practice. Elvas is an outstanding 

demonstration of Portugal’s desire for land and 

autonomy, and the universal aspirations of European 

nation States in the 16th-17th centuries. 


The fortifications of the city of Elvas have their origins in 

the Arab period; these were substantially upgraded 

during the Christian period up until the 16 th century. 

From this medieval military architectural period all that 

remains is the castle and the two city walls, known as the 

“Muslim” walls. In the 17 th century, and as a 

consequence of the War of the Restoration (1641-1668), 

a third medieval wall, the “Fernandina”, constructed in the

period between 1340 and 1369 -- and of which 

we have as testimony the beautiful drawings by 

Duarte de Armas (circa 1509) - was demolished to 

provide building material for the imposing bulwarked 

fortification of the historic centre (construction: 

1643-1653). 

The advances in artillery and actual experience with the 

Battle of the Lines of Elvas (1659) demanded that all 

risings that surrounded the city be strategically occupied 

by forts and fortlets, thus forcing the enemy that lay siege to 

the city to considerably disperse its forces and not directly 

threaten the city in its first approach-trench. Whence the 

creation of the entrenchment field which is still in existence 

today (Fig. 2.a.3), also known as the Lines of Elvas – since the 

aforementioned battle. This system is further fortified by the 

fortifications of the historic centre, which also includes the Fort of 

Santa Lúzia (construction: 1641-1648), the Fort of Graça 

(construction: 1763 – beginning of the 19th century) and three of the 

four fortlets that were built in the beginning of the 19th century, in the 

form that they present today: Fortlet of São Mamede, Fortlet of São 

Pedro and Fortlet of São Domingos or of Piedade. 

In addition to the fortified system, the historic centre presents a 

monumental richness in buildings that are mainly of a military function and 

attest to the uniqueness of this city. The complete urban fabric of the city 

was designed as an enormous garrison that defended the main natural entry 

point into Portuguese territory. 

Elvas is one of the rare cities about which an abundant historical literature exists. 

It has been written ever since the 17 th century, but has been particularly 

extensive since the first half of the 20 th. The histories of the city and its 

fortifications have been mixed together, and we will henceforth concentrate on the 

city's relationship with the frontier, a pairing that is fundamental to an understanding 

of the country's main battle site. 

The history of Elvas is indeed indelibly marked by a sequence of events which have each in 

its turn left a clear division between the city before and after, all of them directly or indirectly 

connected with its frontier location, at the natural point of entry onto Portuguese territory. 


People with their own transport will have no difficulty in 

moving around and orientating themselves within the 

Alentejo. Cyclists should be aware that there are no cycle 

lanes or tracks except for small sections close to urban 

centres. There is a good network of roads, with rapid 

transit along the principal routes: motorways (signalled by 

"A”) and main roads (signalled by "IP”). If you use the 

motorways you will need to pay tolls. Once you are in the 

Region, you should choose to travel by secondary and 

"municipal” roads. The latter are the best, since they are 

simply the oldest asphalted routes through the 

countryside and carry little traffic, thus offering the best 

means of enjoying the landscape, of getting to know 

traditional ways of living and working, of coming across 

the most hidden cultural heritage and of making contact 

with a people who are naturally courteous and 

welcoming. When planning to travel by public transport, 

you should note that the timetables are designed to cater 

for residents and are not always best suited for the 

purposes of tourist travel. Information: www.redeexpresso.pt; 

www.cp.pt; www.rodalentejo.pt. There are 

taxi services in almost every locality. 



Museu de (A) Brincar de Arronches 

39.1234474,-7.2825732 

Largo da Restauração 

7340-006 ARRONCHES - Arronches 

Museu de Arte Sacra de Estremoz 

38.837189,-7.585819 

Igreja do Convento dos Congregados Rossio Marquês de 

Pombal 7100-513 ESTREMOZ - Estremoz 


Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Torre de Palma Wine Hotel 

Herdade de Torre de Palma 

7450-250 Monforte - Monforte 

T +351 245038890 

reservas@torredepalma.com 

Hotel Santa Beatriz 

Av. dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra 

7370-075 Campo Maior 

T +351 268680040 | F +351 268688109 

hotel.s.beatriz@mail.telepac.pt 

Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa 

Largo Gago Coutinho 

7160 Vila Viçosa - Vila Viçosa 

T +351 268887010 / 964 512 761 

info@alentejomarmoris.com 

www.alentejomarmoris.com 

Água d'Alte - Herdade de Água d'Alte - 

Aldeia da Serra, 14 

7170-120 REDONDO - Redondo 

T +351 266989170 / 961695637 

F +351 266989179 e@aguadalte.com 

Monte Branco 

Herdade do Monte Branco, Rio de Moinhos 

7150 BORBA - Borba 

T +351 214830834 +351 962988099 

montebranco@gmail.com 

Casa de Borba 

Rua da Cruz, 5 Ap 46 

7150-125 BORBA - Borba 

T +351 268894528 | F +351 268841448 

casadeborba@hotmail.com 

www.casadeborba.com 

Pousada de Estremoz 

Largo de D. Diniz 

7100-509 ESTREMOZ - Estremoz 

T +351 268332075 

F +351 268332079 

guest@pousadas.pt 

www.pousadas.pt 

Herdade da Barbosa 

Estrada Nacional 504 Estremoz/Sotileira 

São Bento do Cortiço 


T +351 268324510 +351 966305900 

F +351 268333675 

herdadedabarbosa@gmail.com 

www.herdadedabarbosa.blogspot.com

Portugal 

Historic Centre of 

Guimaraes 

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the 

emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 

12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and 

authentic example of the evolution of a medieval 

settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology 

exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese 

architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the 

consistent use of traditional building materials and 

techniques. The early history of Guimarães is closely 

associated with the establishment of Portuguese national 

identity and the Portuguese language in the 12th century. 

Guimarães is of considerable significance by virtue of the fact that 

specialized building techniques developed there in the Middle Ages 

were transmitted to Portuguese colonies in Africa and the New 

World, becoming their characteristic feature. It is an exceptionally 

well-preserved town illustrating the evolution of particular building 

types from the medieval settlement to the present-day city, and 

particularly in the 15th-19th centuries. Guimarães dominates the fertile 

plain that extends towards the sea. It is situated on the most important 

medieval communication routes connecting Monçao and Braga with Viseu 

and Caminha, the seat of the Portuguese Counts from the 10th century. 

This urban settlement developed as a result of two forces, a monastery in the 

south valley, and a fort on the north hill, surrounded by two rivers, until they 

were brought together within a single enclosure. The historic centre is formed 

by a large number of stone constructions (950-1498). The period from 

Renaissance to neoclassicism is characterized by noble houses and the 

development of civic facilities, city squares, etc. The eclectic and industrial periods 

and modern expansion (1926 until today) include some changes, although the 

town has maintained its medieval urban layout. The systems and building types have 

evolved over time. The residential buildings are characterized by the use of two 

construction techniques, one dating from before the 16th century (taipa de rodízio ), a 

half-timbered structure, which mixed granite with a structure in timber and a filling of 

sun-dried brick, using clay mortar. The other (taipa de fasquio ), which came into use in 

the 19th century and is still practised today, was entirely in timber. From here this 

technology was exported to other parts of the world. The monuments include the medieval 

castle, built on the site of the first fort of the 10th century. The present construction was built 

from stone, begun at the time of Afonso I and continued with various modifications in the 

following centuries. The building is an austere crenellated 

structure with towers, designed for defence. Part of it 

was demolished in the 18th century and since then it has 

been subject to restorations. Close to the castle, there is 

a small Romanesque church, São Miguel do Castelo, 

ruined in the 19th century and restored in the 1920s. The 

church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira was founded in the 

12th century on the site where the first monastery had 

existed some three centuries earlier. It was completely 

renovated from 1387 to 1413, with three naves and a 

wooden roof structure, according to the Portuguese 

Gothic model. The cloister was added in the 16th century 

and the present sanctuary to the church in the 17th. The 

Palace of the Dukes of Bragança is a large complex built 

from stone down the hill from the castle. The first 

construction dates from 1420-22, most probably under 

French influence. The building was conceived as a 

symbol of the pride of the Bragança family. The building 

underwent various vicissitudes, serving as a military 

headquarters in the late 19th century. The Town Hall, in 

the square in front of the church of Nossa Senhora, dates 

mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. The palace, 

primarily in stone, has one main floor with large doors 

opening to a balcony along the main facade. The ground 

floor is characterized by open arcades. In the same 

square, in front of the church, there is also a 14th-century 

Gothic arch, a monument commemorating the victory of 

Dom Afonso IV in the battle of Padrão do Salado. The 

bourgeois houses of the 16th century have a ground floor 

in granite and the upper floors are built using the halftimbered 

structure of taipa de rodízio . The houses of 

noble families have often been an modification of a 

previous structure, and generally have their elevations 

built from granite as a sign of distinction. The typical 

houses of the 17th century continued using the same 

construction technique (granite in the ground floor and 

half-timbered structure in the upper floors - usually three). 

Another type of house of the same century was built with 

a peristyle and arcaded ground floor, and is usually found 

in public squares. 



It is possible to reach Guimarães using a variety of 

forms of transportation, including the following: 

By plane: 

the International Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro is about 

50 km from the city center of Guimarães, by car. It's also 

possible to make this connection by metro to the city 

center of Porto and then by train. 

By train: 

the railway station, located near the city center of Guimarães, 

makes a direct connection to the city center of Oporto 

By bus: 

There are several bus companies that connects (directly or not) 

Guimarães to any point in Portugal. 

By car: 

From the current network of motorways, Guimarães arrives at the Porto 

in about 30 minutes (through A3 and A7), Braga 15 minutes (A11), Vigo 

(Spain) in 90 minutes (A3 and A7) and Lisbon 180 minutes (A3, A7 and A1). 

There are companies offering rent a car in Guimaraes and Porto. 

Within the historical center of Guimarães, tourists and visitors can easily get 

around on foot. For longer trips within the municipality of Guimarães, it is 

possible to travel by car or bus using the Transurbanos Guimaraes (TUG). 

And the nearby Other outstanding cultural places 

Alberto Sampaio Museum, Vila Flor Palace and Cultural Center Cultural; Arts and 

Creativity Platform; Martins Sarmento Archaeological Museum; Center for Art and 

Architecture Affairs (Centro para os Assuntos da Arte e da Arquitectura); Paço dos 

Duques de Bragança (Room José de Guimarães); Laboratory of Arts; Convent Santo 

António dos Capuchos (Museological Route); Archaeological Nucleus of the Guimarães’ 

Commercial and Industrial Association. 

Most important regular events 

Throughout the year it take place across in Guimaraes 

(noth in the city and in the rural parishes) several parties, 

festivals and other events rooted in popular and religious 

tradition. 

However, in Guimarães the flagship popular events are 

surely the Gualterianas City Festivities (happen on the first 

weekend of August) and the Nicolinas or Students 

Festivities (happen on the night of 29 November). 

It is also important to highlight the Joanina Fair (it happens 

at the end of September), a historical recreation of a 

Market of the times of King D. John I (1357-1457) in which 

participates various cultural associations Guimarães. 

Among the many cultural events that take place regularly 

in Guimarães, we highlight the following festivals: 

Guimarães Jazz; Festivals Gil Vicente (dedicated to 

theater), of Guimaraes Music International Meeting 

(dedicated to classical music), Manta (dedicated to pop, 

rock and electronic contemporary music), Guidance - 

International Festival of Contemporary Dance. 

Relevant classified heritage inserted within the area 

classified by UNESCO 

Heritage classified as a “National Monument”: Guimarães 

Castle; Guimarães Wall; Paço dos Duques de Bragança; 

Church of São Domingos (cloisters); Church of São 

Miguel do Castelo; Former City Hall; Church of Nossa 

Senhora da Oliveira; Pattern of D. João I; Cruise of 

Senhora da Guia. 

Heritage classified as a “Public Interest Property”: Church 

of São Francisco; Church of São Domingos; Building at 

Rua Egas Moniz, No. 113; Building of Misericórdia de 

Guimarães; D. João I Street; Chapel of Santa Cruz; Casa 

dos Lobos Machados; Church of Convento das 

Capuchinhas ou da Madre de Deus; Church of Nossa 

Senhora da Consolação.

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Hostel Palmeiras 

Youth Hostel in Guimarães 

Hostel Vimaranes 

TMHostel 1 and 2; Hostel Prime 

My Hostel 

Hostel Oficinas de São José 

• Casa dos Cedros 

• Quinta Eira do Sol 

• Quinta do Carvalho 

• Alojamento Local Porta 51 

• Casa da Espinhosa 

• Casa do Arco 

• Alojamento Local F&B 

• 1720 Quinta da Cancela 

• Alojamento Local FA 

• Guest House Vimaranes 

• Guimarães Studios Lounge 

• Quinta das Corujeiras 

(classified as “Country House”) 

• Quinta do Pinhô (CH) 

• Casa da Moreira (CH) 

• Quinta Pedras de Baixo 

(classified as “Agritourism”) 

• Villa Hotel Guimarães (****) 

• Casa de Sezim; 

• Casa dos Pombais; 

• Casa de Cima de Eiriz 

• Paradise Hill (****) 

• Parque de campismo da Penha 

• Parque de campismo 

de Caldas das Taipas. 

• Hotel Penha (**) 

• Guimarães Hotel (****) 

• Hotel Founder (***) 

• Hotel D. John IV (**) 

• Hotel Ibis Guimarães (**) 

• Hotel Villa Marita (**) 

• Hotel Mestre de Avis (**) 

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• Hotel das Taipas (***)

Italy 

The Necropolis of 

Cerveteri and Tarquinia 

These two large Etruscan cemeteries reflect different 

types of burial practices from the 9th to the 1st 

century BC, and bear witness to the achievements of 

Etruscan culture. Which over nine centuries developed 

the earliest urban civilization in the northern 

Mediterranean. Some of the tombs are monumental, cut in 

rock and topped by impressive tumuli (burial mounds). 

Many feature carvings on their walls, others have wall 

paintings of outstanding quality. The necropolis near Cerveteri, 

known as Banditaccia, contains thousands of tombs organized 

in a city-like plan, with streets, small squares and 

neighbourhoods. The site contains very different types of tombs: 

trenches cut in rock; tumuli; and some, also carved in rock, in the 

shape of huts or houses with a wealth of structural details. These 

provide the only surviving evidence of Etruscan residential 

architecture. The necropolis of Tarquinia, also known as Monterozzi, 

contains 6,000 graves cut in the rock. It is famous for its 200 painted 

tombs, the earliest of which date from the 7th century BC. The 

necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri constitute a unique and 

exceptional testimony to the ancient Etruscan civilization, the only urban 

civilization in pre-Roman Italy. Moreover, the depiction of daily life in the 

frescoed tombs, many of which are replicas of Etruscan houses, is a unique 

testimony to this vanished culture. Many of the tombs represent types of 

buildings that no longer exist in any other form. The cemeteries, replicas of 

Etruscan town planning schemes, are some of the earliest existing in the 

region. The necropolis of Cerveteri (Banditaccia) developed from the 9th century 

BC. It expanded from the 7th century onwards, following a precise plan. The 

ancient history and development of the Tarquinia (Monterozzi) necropolis is similar. 

The Etruscans lived in west-central Italy from the 9th century BC onwards. Their 

culture reached its height in the 6th century BC. There is no definite answer to the 

question of the origins of these people. It is certain that no community of the same 

ethnic and social characteristics occurred elsewhere in Europe or Asia. They spoke a 

non-Indo-European language of unknown origin. Each of these cemeteries is different in 

the characteristics of the tombs and therefore covers together the Etruscan burial 

culture. Thousands of tombs exist in the vast cemetery of Cerveteri: they are organized in 

a city-like plan, with 'streets', small squares and 'neighbourhoods'. The tombs are of 

different types depending on period, family status and other criteria. The earliest known are 

series of rock-cut trenches holding pottery ossuaries containing the ashes of the deceased. 

Most famous are the tumuli - tombs often containing more than one tomb under an imposing 

mound. A famous example is known as the 'Hut Shaped 

Tomb', from the 4th century. It presents an excellent rockcut 

hut with all structural and building elements, such as 

gabled roof, main crossbeam, wood and straw roofing 

materials as well as stone couches next to the walls. This 

tomb and others, imitating houses, are the best and only 

evidence of the residential architecture of the Etruscans. 

The 6th-century Tomb of the Greek Vases is accessible 

through a rock-cut dromos (corridor) that imitates an 

Etruscan temple. The Tomb of the Moulding (cornice) has 

two thrones with footstools, cut in the rock, at the sides 

of its door. It also imitates a contemporary domestic 

interior. The Tomb of the Capitals has an imitation 

wooden floor on its ceiling. The most famous among the 

thousands of the Banditaccia tombs is the 'Tomb of 

Reliefs'. This 4th-century tomb is accessible via a long 

rock-cut stairway leading to a large hall with a ceiling 

supported by two columns with Aeolic capitals. It 

includes 13 double funerary niches and additional place 

for 34 bodies on a specially carved ledge. The 13 niches 

have double cushions with red painted stucco. Many 

objects are depicted on the stuccoed walls, including 

weapons and domestic and religious ones. The other 

cemetery, known as Monterozzi or the necropolis of 

Tarquinia, is famous for its painted tombs. The tombs are 

all cut in the rock and accessible via sloping or stepped 

corridors. Most of them were made for a single couple 

and constitute one burial chamber. The earliest painted 

tombs are from the 7th century but only in the 6th century 

were they fully developed and completely covered with 

painting. The 4th-century Tomb of the Lionesses consists 

of a small chamber with gabled roof. The painting depicts 

flying birds and dolphins and scenes from the life of the 

Etruscan aristocracy. The 6th-century Tomb of the 

Hunting Pavilion shows the view seen through the 

transparent fabric of the pavilion. The Hunting and Fishing 

Tomb is composed of two chambers. In the first, there is 

a depiction of Dionysian dancing in a sacred wood, and 

in the second, a hunting and fishing scene and portraits 

of the tomb owners. The painted tombs of the 

aristocracy, as well as more simple ones, are 

extraordinary evidence of what objects cannot show: 

daily life, ceremonies and mythology as well as artistic 

abilities.

La Banditaccia, Cerveteri 

The most famous attraction of Cerveteri is the 

Necropoli della Banditaccia, which has been declared 

by UNESCO a World Heritage Site together with the 

necropoleis in Tarquinia. It covers an area of 400 ha, of 

which 10 ha can be visited, encompassing a total of 

1,000 tombs often housed in characteristic mounds. It is 

the largest ancient necropolis in the Mediterranean area. 

The name Banditaccia comes from the leasing (bando) of 

areas of land to the Cerveteri population by the local 

landowners. The tombs date from the 9th century BC 

(Villanovan culture) to the late Etruscan age (3rd century BC). 

The most ancient ones are in the shape of a pit, in which the 

ashes of the dead were housed; also simple potholes are 

present. From the Etruscan period are two types of tombs: the 

mounds and the so-called "dice", the latter being simple square 

tombs built in long rows along "roads". The visitable area contains 

two such "roads", the Via dei Monti Ceriti and the Via dei Monti della 

Tolfa (6th century BC). The mounds are circular structures built in tuff, 

and the interiors, carved from the living rock, house a reconstruction of 

the house of the dead, including a corridor (dromos), a central hall and 

several rooms. Modern knowledge of Etruscan daily life is largely 

dependent on the numerous decorative details and finds from such tombs. 

The most famous of these mounds is the so-called Tomba dei Rilievi (Tomb 

of the Reliefs, 3rd century BC), identified from an inscription as belonging to 

one Matunas and provided with an exceptional series of frescoes, bas-reliefs 

and sculptures portraying a large series of contemporary life tools. The most 

recent tombs date from the 3rd century BC. Some of them are marked by 

external “cippi”, which are cylindrical for men, and in the shape of a small house 

for women. A large number of finds excavated at Cerveteri are in the National 

Etruscan Museum, Rome, with others in the Vatican Museums and many other 

museums around the world. Others, mainly pottery, are in the Archaeological 

Museum at Cerveteri itself. 


Cerveteri is only 40 km from Rome and 35 from 

Civitavecchia, in between the sea and the hills; the town is in 

fact located at 81 mt. on the sealevel.It is possible to reach 

Cerveteri from the Via Aurelia and from the Rome- 

Civitavecchia ( A/12 ). The connections with Rome , 

Civitavecchia and Ladispoli , are insured by the bus services 

CO.TRA.L. and by train (Trenitalia)It is possible to reach 

Cerveteri using a variety of forms of transportation, including 

the following 

By car. 

From the North: taking the A1 highway towards the south, 

then taking the exit for Roma Nord and taking the gatewat n. 

10 of the GRA and continue on - Cassia Flaminia. Take exit 1 

towards Civitavecchia and continue to Cerveteri. 

From the South: Take the A1 highway towards Rome, 

continue along the gateway n. 19 of the GRA towards Aurelia 

Cassia, take exit n. 30 towards Fiumicino and continue in the 

direction of Civitavecchia. Leave the highway at Cerveteri - 

Ladispoli and continue to the town. 

By train / bus 

From the Roma Termini railway central station take any train to 

Pisa, Civitavecchia or Grossto; get of at Marina di Cerveteri stop. 

By plane 

The nearest airport to Cerveteri is the Leonardo Da Vinci 

airport , Rome-Fiumicino. To reach the airport you can take 

the FM1 train to Fara Sabina (departures every 30 minutes), 

get off at Trastevere in Rome. From there take any train to 

Civitavecchia or to Grosseto and Pisa, get off at Marina di 

Cerveteri stop. To reach Cerveteri from ' Ciampino airport, 

take the bus shuttle TERRAVISION Roma Termini (departures 

every 20-30 minute); from there take any train to 

Civitavecchia or to Grosseo direction and Pisa and get of at 

Marina di Cerveteri stop. 


And the nearby Other 

outstanding cultural places 

The Museum of Cerveteri, opened in 1967 and 

hosted in the castle Ruspoli , is located in the historic 

center of the town and still retains some of the findings 

that emerged from the excavations of the necropolis of 

Cerveteri and the area of the town. The visit proceeds 

from the lower to the upper floor and should be started 

on the right side of the entrance: in this section, the 

showcases display a few items relevant to Villanovan tenure 

of the territory, with particular reference to the kits from the 

burial of Sorbo. Also in the first room, important are the small 

urn with the reproduction of the couple at a banquet depicted 

on the cover (copy draft of the more well-known " sarcophagus 

" stored at the Villa Giulia ), and the crater of the Painter ' 

Eptacordo ( picture below ), an artist working in Caere in the early 

decades of the seventh century BC. The upper room is instead 

enriched by a series of Hellenistic sarcophagi found in the Tomb and 

the Tomb of Tasmie Coffin , both located outside the enclosure of the 

necropolis of Banditaccia, in the so-called Tombs of the City. Alongside 

these artifacts, the section presents a series of painted plates by socalled 

Temple of Hera and a beautiful statue of Charon from the 

necropolis of Sant'Angelo. In the same room , on the ground, are then 

stored and some other anatomical votive terracottas function Templar. 

There are several events throughout the year, but it is in the summer period 

that a few interesting events could be found, such as: 

- Last Sunday on May: the so-called “Infiorata in Honor of the Virgin Mary” 

July/ August: Series of events under the label “Estate Cerite”, including: the 

"Etruria Jazz Festival" and the "Etruria Eco Festival", an event featureing musical 

and artistic events of national and international significance. The event has the 

ambitious aim of combining the promotion of artistic and cultural heritage with the 

promotion of all the issues related to the environment and the protection of the territory. 

Inspiring itineraries in the Necropolis: 

Area of the Great Barrows 

Main stops of the itinerary. Mound of the Shields and 

Chairs, Tomb of the Lions Paintings: it includes three tombs, 

the oldest being the Tomb of the Lions Paintings located to 

NW. The grave is marked by a long dromos access (m. 12) 

with steps ending with two bedrooms at the side, each one 

with the same plant, accessible through two arched 

doorways. Both of the bedrooms, equipped with two beds 

and a central quay, had a painted decoration in red, black 

and white directly on the walls, with a representation of a 

man between two lions, the latest in a line moving from the 

side walls. The complex has two main rooms lined preceded 

by a sort of vestibule with pitched ceiling, curve, and beams 

that are arranged radially with respect to a central disk. 

Mound of the Shields and Chairs, Tomb of the Shields and 

Seats: The tomb, oriented to NE, has a plant similar to that of 

Tombs of the Capitals and of the Frame, reproducing the 

aristocratic house of the sixth century. BC: a short dromos, 

two bedrooms side, a large hall in which there are three 

coaxial chambers. To highlight the care with which the 

carvings were made, and the stylistic details of the 

furnishings. Standing on either side of the door at the back of 

the hall, two seats with backs bent carved into the tufo and 

along the walls, a series of shields hung. These elements 

gave the name to the tomb and its mound. Mound of the 

Painted Animal: founded in the mid-seventh century BC, the 

Mound of the Painted Animal includes four chamber tombs. 

Of these, the oldest is the Tomb of the Painted Animals facing 

to NW. The plant is of the type with a long dromos access 

steps, which ends with three arched doors, introduting side 

into as many rooms, while the bottom provides access to a 

series of coaxial environments (total length m. 14): a vestibule 

elliptical, with traces of paint on the walls (annals decoration), 

and a large room divided into three by four pillars; at the walls 

of the central environment, there are two beds, one shaped 

like an ark and the other in kline.

Inspiring itineraries in the 

Necropolis: 

The Way to the Underworld 

The Way to the Underworld, cleaned up at the end of 

the last century thanks to the intervention of the GAR in 

consultation with the Superintendent, is deeply 

embedded in the tuff and surrounded by natural 

vegetation, sometimes wild. The Way departed from a port 

on the northern side of the city, passed over the “Fosso of 

truncheons” and was, in its western fork, the original internal 

path to the Necropolis of Banditaccia. In the initial section, in 

the Area of the Fence, you come to the Tomb of the Doric 

Columns; then the road continues up to a crossroads: on the 

left, lead to the Live Bridge, while on the right to the ancient city. 

In this section, characterized by the presence of numerous small 

squares, is a continuation of a series of graves at different heights 

and different eras. 

To the right of the highway and parallel to it, in the direction of the city, 

the Way of Burial continues to run from the Fence to the western area of 

the Necropolis. Here you find the area of the Tombs of the City, 

discovered for the most part in the nineteenth century excavations. These 

tombs of the fourth century B.C. bordering on squares and square 

embedded in the tuff which are placed in an area of the cemetery reserved 

for aristocratic families that dominated Caere in the period of the alliance with 

Rome. Of particular note the Tomb of the Alcove , the Tomb of the Inscriptions 

(known for more than 50 inscriptions painted or engraved indicating the names 

of the dead), the Tomb of the Triclinium, the Tomb Coffin (who has returned four 

sarcophagi of white marble, three of which are preserved in the Museum of 

Cerveteri and one in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum ) and the Tomb of the 

Tamnsie (with two marble sarcophagi, painted white, both preserved in the local 

museum ). This area was also affected by the geophysical surveys conducted by the 

Lerici Foundation.

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Italy 

Castelseprio Torba, Varese 

The CASTRUM, destroyed by the Visconti in the late 

13th century - with the exception of buildings of 

worship - still keeps the impo¬sing ring-wall, the 

housing system and the main worship com¬plex of San 

Giovanni Evangelista, with Basilica and annexed 

octa¬gonal Baptistery, completely reconstructed by the 

Longobards in the 7th century and used internally and 

externally for the burial of important local personages.A 

particularly significant example of military architecture is the 

TORBA TOWER which, in late Longobard times, was used as 

a nuns’ Convent. The Church of Santa Maria foris portas, 

outside the walls where the burg developed in the Early Middle 

Ages, was erected as a private ari¬stocratic building with 

annexed cemetery.It preserves one of the finest pictorial texts of 

the whole Early Middle Ages; the scenes dedicated to the story of 

the childhood of Christ are presented in the central apse of the small 

triple-apse structure, enriched with an inlaid marble floor. The series 

of figures is complex and dense with episodes and references, 

alternated with symbolic images. The complex as a whole represents 

an extraordinary example of castrensian settlement which stands out for 

its spatial organization, monumentality and typological variety of its 

buildings.The great number of worship buildings, characterized by different 

functions, public and private, is a proof of the influential relationship of the 

Longobard élites with the Church, to the extent of creating a “new” model of 

settlement where the sacred places played a primary role in the power 

strategies. Due to its marked double function of both defensive and demic 

structure, the complex represent a fundamental reference for the most typical 

medieval settlement: the “castle”. The lack of continuity in the utilization of the 

area contributed to preserve the habitat, which still today enables to appreciate all 

the geo-morphological features that since the ancient times made it an eligible 

place for the foundation of a castrum. The articulated functional organization of the 

spaces and structures as well as the high standard of the decorations express the 

social prestige of the commission, of direct royal emanation. In particular, the plurality 

of the cultural traditions that contributed to the construction and definition of a such 

exceptional site outlines an attentive social environment open to the consolidated 

experiences coming from the Byzantine and Roman worlds in the painting and 

architectonic models, but also active in the experimentation in the urban field and military 

architecture. While Cividale and Brescia, like Benevento, demonstrate the settlement 

methods of the Longobards within the most important cities 

in the urban system created by the Romans, Castelseprio- 

Torba is an excellent testimony of how high altitude fortified 

systems, which developed during the late Roman era 

following the first Barbarian invasions, were re-used. 

The Castrum. Destroyed by the Visconti in the late 13th 

century with the exception of buildings of worship) and 

following its abandonment, the castrum retained the 

fundamental features that characterised it: the imposing wall 

circuit, a place of shelter for the inhabitants in times of peril, 

the high quality of the housing system and of the main 

worship complex of San Giovanni Evangelista, with Basilica 

and annexed octagonal Baptistery, completely reconstructed 

by the Longobards in the 7th century and used internally and 

externally for the burial of important local personages.A 

particularly significant example of military architecture is the 

Torba Tower, placed at the summit of the fortified site of 

Castelseprio, which led down to Valle dell’Olona, and which, 

in late Longobard times, was used as a female convent. The 

imposing perimeter wall which enclosed the castrum, of 

which some visible sections are well preserved. It appears to 

have a variable thickness of between 1.30 and 2.20 metres; 

its masonry is constituted of courses of small schistose stone 

blocks and of pebbles, both intact and broken up, with a 

nucleus of pebbles mixed with mortar.The walls which taper 

upwards are lightened by the presence of wide niches on the 

easternside and by blind arches in the sections to Torba. Reworked 

elements - such as architectural fragments, 

dedications and funeral inscriptions, stone funerary urns - are 

often used in the walls and in the square-plan towers placed 

at almost regular intervals along the western side. The 

complex of Torba which is an extension of the fortified site of 

Castelseprio, currently consists of a Tower, a Church 

dedicated to Santa Maria, a 15th century building next to the 

Tower and the boundary wall. The Tower is placed on the 

southern tip of the fortified annex which went down from the 

castrum, and is a rare example of 5th-6th century defence 

architecture in Northern ItalyThe Tower today stands 18 

metres high, its upper sections having been rebuilt at different 

times after the Longobard period.

Italy 

It is built according to a square plan, its sturdy 

walls gradually tapering upwards (the sides 

measure 8.85 m at the base and 7.90 at the top). 

The three sides facing towards the valley are 

reinforced at the corners and in the centre by mighty 

buttresses. Below there are embrasures and on the 

second floor there are windows with the characteristic 

“mushroom” shape (i.e. with arch wider than the span of 

the window opening).In the 8th century, still during the 

Longobard era, the Tower lost its military function, and 

was incorporated into a nuns’ convent. The first floor was 

thus used as a cemetery for aristocrats, and abbesses, as 

testified by the arcosolia type of burials. The frescoes and 

painted inscriptions show us the faces, names and role of the 

nuns buried in the tower, including that of Aliperga, whose 

Longobard name flanks the portrait in yellow ochre paint. The 

name was later substituted by a new inscription in white paint, 

mentioning Casta, a nun like Aliperga.The only traces of this 

portrait visible today are the hands, as it was later overpainted. This 

later layer included a figure of a bishop, recognizable by his 

vestments, the only surviving fragment. A niche in the southern wall 

still preserves a dark red cross with curved arms, from which hang two 

small chains bearing the Greek letters alpha and omega, symbols of the 

beginning and the end, and a fragmentary funerary inscription. The style 

features of all the inscriptions point to the 8th century, on account of the 

style, which many researchers date back to the Longobard period. On the 

second floor a chapel was built for the nuns, with an altar entirely frescoed 

with religious images. Here too an inscription of a didascalic type, only partly 

legible, recalls the style in vogue in the scriptoria of the Longobard period. To a 

time, that is, before Charlemagne’s introduction of the Caroline reform.On the 

Western wall, to the right of the window, as in the Tempietto Longobardo in 

Cividale del Friuli, two orders of female figures are represented in an intercession 

scene: a group of female saints above and, below, a procession of eight nuns 

painted frontally, with one hand open as a sign of prayer and a cross in the other. On 

the Eastern wall is a beardless blessing Christ, placed in the centre, and seated on a 

throne flanked by two angels, with the Virgin Mary on one side (no longer visible) and 

Saint John the Baptist on the other; at the base are depicted six velaria of different 

shapesand decorations. On the Southern wall on the left can be seen fragments of 

several characters, probably martyrs, while on the right dominate the figure of the 

Madonna and Child, surrounded by Saints, bishops and a woman bearing offerings. Other 

wall decorations and frescoes are attributed to refurbishment work subsequent to the 

Longobard period. 

Church of Santa Maria 

The original phase of the church dedicated to Santa Maria is 

also attributed to the Early Middle Ages, erected as part of 

the same Monastery complex opposite the Tower. 

Excavations have demonstrated the chronological sequence 

of construction work over four main phases, with successive 

reconstructions due to the sinking of the southern perimeter 

wall, imprudently founded on an unstable mass of puddingstone.The 

current building with a single chamber and truss 

roof, built with river cobblestones and despoiled stone, is 

mainly attributed to the 11th century, while the apse section, 

made from large pebbles and bricks and decorated with 

hanging arches, which shows a more mature architectural 

approach, is fully romanesque and attributable to the 13th 

century. A number of scholars believe that the first early 

mediaeval church had a single chamber, equipped with an 

ambulatory crypt, with access via two side stairways, partly 

dug out from the rock, partly built from recycled material. 

Excavations have uncovered the crypt of this first structure, 

together with the stairwells and a number of fragments of 8th 

century frescoes. Other painted fragments, attributable to the 

same period of the Early Middle Ages were found in the 

archaeological digs carried out there and currently being 

studied. The remains of frescoes that are still present in the 

inner walls of the church testify that all construction phases 

were matched by a new series of paintings: remains of 

scenes painted in the 11th century on the long walls to the 

south and to the north still remain today and were probably 

set out in two tiers (other fragments from the same period 

were found during excavations). In the apse there are 

fragments of a painting from the 13th century, perhaps 

depicting a martyr with a palm branch. Fragments of painted 

decorations have also been found on the inner wall of the bell 

tower, which was reconstructed in the 9th century from an 

existing tower that was probably in the more ancient 

boundary wall. Among the remains of frescoes there is a 

particularly interesting fragment which can be traced to the 

11th century, depicting a male figure accompanied by the 

writing “K(a)im”, and identified as Saint Joakim or perhaps 

Cain.

Italy 

The Baptistery 

The Baptistery, has an hexagonal floor plan with a 

south-West little apse, and is similar to the ones in 

Grado and Cividale; the original construction phase 

dates back to the 5th-6th century. The building 

includes a baptismal font for total immersion, also 

covered in marble, which does not stand in the center of 

the building. The floor is executed in opus sectile, 

including marble encrustations of hexagonal and triangular 

geometrical forms cut out of white marble from Musso and 

black marble from Varenna; the wall module of the elements 

composing the main body of the church varies as to size and 

texture from the one employed in the apse of the same 

Baptistery. The original faux marble decoration on the walls was 

replaced during the Longobard era by a ornamental geometric 

pattern painted on the rose-coloured base of the plaster. During 

the Longobard era, the common christian practice of burying the 

dead in and around churches is attested by numerous earth burials 

dating from the 7th-8th century, and which also cover the area to the 

east and south of the worship complex. 

Maria Foris Portas 

The Church of Santa Maria foris portas, a private aristocratic building with 

annexed cemetery, is famous for its triple apse plan and for the series of 

Early Mediaeval frescoes which constitute a cycle which a unique example of 

its type. The building is placed in the area of the burg which developed 

westwards of the castrum. Its façade is preceded by an atrium and has a triple 

apse plan: a short rectangular chamber with three apses which use the walls of 

the central area as supports. The three apses connect to the central area by 

means of three triumphal arches. The apses are equipped with windows for 

illumination and strengthened on the outside by buttresses. The Church preserves 

one of the finest pictorial texts of the whole of the Early Middle Ages; the scenes 

dedicated to the story of the childhood of Christ are presented in the central apse of 

the small triple-apse structure enriched with an inlaid marble floor. The series of figures 

is complex and dense with episodes and references, alternated with symbolic images; 

the style is free and animated which renews and revitalizes the expressiveness and 

Hellenistic pictorial quality and is unequalled by other creations of the time. 

The Architecture 

The shape of the structure is reminiscent of Late roman and 

Byzantine buildings, and a large number of comparisons can 

be made with examples in the Middle East and in North 

Africa. On the other hand though, the type of masonry 

technique, using small units, is similar to the Basilica of San 

Giovanni, inside the castrum. This is why many scholars have 

dated the original building to a time ranging from the 7th to 

the 8th century, in spite of many restorations and remodelling. 

This idea is based on analysis which were made a long time 

ago, but are nonetheless reliable. This study analized: three 

brick fragments found in the underfloor preparation area; 

eight tiles crowning the secondary façade of the church; one 

ceiling truss belonging to the main apse. 

On the southern façade of the building is found a service 

area, perhaps used for liturgical purposes; now only its plan 

remains visible. The flooring is partially preserved in the 

central chamber, as in the Basilica of San Giovanni and in its 

Baptistery and consists of hexagonal and triangular white and 

black marble tiles of white marble from Musso and black 

marble from Varenna. Both the building and the frescoes 

which cover the apse are unique pieces, architecturally and 

artistically. It is well-known that Castelseprio was part of the 

orbit of the royal court, as attested by its central role at a 

local level both during the Longobard and during the 

carolingian period, when it was able to maintain this role as 

the centre of a county partly based on the structure of the 

Giudicaria which it had supplanted. Thanks to these relations 

it necessarily was affected by the main contemporary art 

styles, which at the time were active and elaborating new 

models at the new royal courts present at pavia and in the 

city of Milan. Its aristocracy enjoyed remarkable economic 

power, which attracted artisans and artists, and exercised its 

role by commissioning high quality art work. 



Castelseprio is served by buses, connecting with 

trains at the railway station of Varese and Gallarate. 

From the station is 5 Km North of Tradate 

Once in town, the archaeological park is reached via a 

paved road that leads up to the house of the Keepers where 

there is ample parking. 

From Varese: it is easily reachable in twenty minutes along the 

A8 (Autostrada dei Laghi), coming out in Solbiate Arno and 

continuing for Carnforth, until you get to Castelseprio. 

From Milan: take the highway Lakes (A8) and exit at Busto Arsizio, 

continuing to Cairate Castelseprio is reached. 

Italy

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Agriturismo La Pömeta 

v. Fabiasco 3bis Fraz. Castendallo 

Montegrino Valtravaglia (Va) 

Ph:+39 0332.589.700 +39 340.683.54.77 

www.agriturismolapometa.com 

Agriturismo Villa Brugolta 

v. Pradaccio 3 Cadegliano Viconago (Va) 

Mob. +39 3493213907 

www.agriturismobrugolta.it 

Agriturismo Il Pascolo, Strada Vicinale dei 

Boschetti, 4 - 21050 Cairate (Va) 

+39 328.252.25.39 ilpascolo.cairate@alice.it 

Agritourism / Country Houses 

Agriturismo Alpe dei Fiori, Via Prov.le 

perMarzio Loc. Costebelle Marchirolo (Va); 

+39 0332.727.957 +39 348.782.19.68 

www.alpedeifiori.altervista.org 

Agriturismo Terra Libera, Via Campi 

Lunghi, 1 - 21030 Azzio (Va); Mobile.: +39 

320.85.75.378; @: naliyoga@gmail.com; 

www.terralibera.it 

Bed and Breakfast la Riva degli Alpaca 

Via Mulino di Sotto, 3 - 21050 Clivio (Va); 

Ph: +39 0332.359.550 Mob: +39 3775065910 

info@larivadeglialpaca.it 

www.larivadeglialpaca.it 

Bed&Breakfast 

Bed and Breakfast Melosempre 

Via Prato, 25/B - 21032 Caravate (Va) 

Mob..: +39 349.308.90.30 

info@melosempre.com 

www.melosempre.com

Italy 

Cividale del Friuli, Udine 

The boundaries of the nominated properties are the 

“Gastaldaga area with the so-called Tempietto 

Longobardo” and the “Episcopal complex with the 

Palazzo Patriarcalebelow the National Archaeological 

Museum”. Both the Gastaldaga and the Episcopal 

complex (insula episcopalis) correspond to the heart of 

the Longobard city. That of Cividale del Friuli – the first 

Longobard Duchy in Italy - is an emblematic example of the 

urban culture of the Longobard period, which brings together 

in one place the most important centres of power in the city. 

In the GASTALDAGA area - the royal court inside the Duchy - 

stands the Tempietto longobardo (Oratorio of Santa Maria in 

Valle), one of the most complex and original buildings of 

Longobard architecture. The Tempietto, together with the palatine 

Church of San Giovanni. The complex is included in the Monastery 

of Santa Maria in Valle. The Episcopal complex (insula episcopalis), 

renovated and extended by the Patriarch Callisto, consisted of a set 

of communicating buildings which included the Basilica of Santa Maria 

Assunta, the Baptistery of Saint John and the Patriarchal Palace below 

the actual National Archaeological Museum. From the Baptistery come 

two of the most important works of Longobard sculpture, currently 

preserved in the Museo Cristiano e Tesoro del Duomo: the Callisto's 

"Tegurium" - an octagonal aedicule which covered the baptismal font - and 

the Altar commissioned by King Ratchis, the only sculptural piece from the 

Longobard era featuring a biblical narrative theme.The 16th century 

transcription of a diploma of Berengarius i (889-890 or 917-918 A.D.) states 

that in the place known as Valle there was the Gastaldaga, or seat of the 

gastaldus regis, the administrative officer in charge of the fiscal estate and of the 

possessions of the Longobard King in Cividale and in the Duchy of Friuli. The low 

lying area called Valle – which occupies the south-eastern area of the city, close to 

the walls, not far from an ancient city gate, called porta Brossana – is an area with its 

own particular atmosphere, overlooking the craggy chasm in which the river Natisone 

flows, in a place which is both impervious and picturesque, capable of evoking the 

prestigious medieval past of this ducal city. Possibly, this area had already assumed a 

central function within the urban structure under the domination of the Goths. This 

situation conditioned the development of monuments in the area around the church of 

San Giovanni, the city’s most important and oldest religious building, second only to the 

cathedral, and in the area of the a small building known as the Tempietto Longobardo 

(literally, “the little Longobard Temple”), a work of 

unparalleled splendor dating from the late Longobard 

period, which can be considered a royal building. It is in 

this context, probably still during the Longobard period, 

that the Monastery of Santa Maria incorporated older 

buildings, and became the core of a new building 

complex. Because the Monastery was considerably 

developed during subsequent periods and right up to 

today, it is not easy to identify the surviving traces of the 

ancient palace settlement. 

After Hjilmar Torp had completed his investigations, 

remnants of the Early Middle Ages Palace of gastaldus 

were identified in archaeological structures came to light 

within the church of San Giovanni, in a space that 

connects the cloister to the narthex. Here it can be seen 

that in the rebuilding of this church and the south-western 

arm of the Monastery, the orientation of the earlier 

structure was respected and adhered to, in both cases. 

Recent stratigraphic tests of the wall construction further 

confirm that on each occasion when the Monastery 

complex was reorganised over the centuries, the intention 

was always to respect the older building, and to replicate 

a space that had particular architectural significance 

within the overall arrangement. Other elements brought to 

light during the 2008 archaeological excavations, in a 

small courtyard located between the apse of San 

Giovanni and the southern perimeter of the Tempietto, 

can be identified as parts of the original layout of the 

valley site. Investigations carried out here in 1962 had 

previously found evidence of the first phase of 

frequentation of the site as a series of interconnecting 

rectangular rooms, paved in mosaic, that extended below 

the sacristy of the Tempietto. The 2008 investigations 

clearly demonstrated that these structures, which can 

now be visited by the public visit, were partly reused in 

construction of the religious buildings for the Longobard 

palace, which in fact seem to have been well integrated 

with those pre-existing structures. 



Cividale del Friuli is located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia 

Region and it can be reached with the following 

transportation: 

By car 

Taking the highway A23-Udine or taking the State Road 54 

(Udine - Cividale) Cividale is just 23 km far away from Udine ; 

30 km from Gorizia and 65 Km from Trieste 

By bus 

It is possible to reach Cividale del Friuli with the bus company S.A.F. 

http://www.saf.ud.it/ 

By train 

Trenitalia 

http://www.trenitalia.it 

Railway Udine Cividale 

http://www.ferrovieudinecividale.it 

Italy

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Affittacamere di Picotti Eugenio 

S.ta S. Valentino 14; Ph.: + 39 0432.731489 

info@alpomodoro.com www.almpomodoro.com 

Affittacamere di Bardus Ivano & C. 

Via Carraria 100 - Ph: +39 0432 730201 

Affittacamere di Roiatti Mauro, C.so 

Mazzini, 15/1, Mobile: + 39 349 0765288 

+ 39 349 3248997- info@lacjasedaitoscans.it 

www.lacjasedaitoscans.it 

Bed&Breakfast 

Rooms Rental 

Agriturismo Alla Pineta (Spessa) 

S.da di Sant'Anna, 40/A - +39 0432 716009 

www.allapineta.it 

Agriturismo Casa Fiorata (Spessa) 

S.da di Spessa 23 +39 0432 716094 

Mob +39 333 8643852 casafiorata@libero.it 

Azienda Agrituristica Case Gortani 

(Sanguarzo) v. S.Floreano 89 

+39 0432 733775 +39 328 8458882 

waltercudis@alice.it 

Agriturismo Ai Casali (Sanguarzo) 

S.da di Guspergo 19; Ph. 39 0432 701498 

Mobile: +39 339 1123330 

www.aicasali.it - info@aicasali.it 

Alloggi Agrituristici Borgo Soravilla 

(Sanguarzo), v. Valli del Natisone 112 

Ph.: +39 0432 709995 - soravi@alice.it 

Azienda Agricola "Gildo"(Spessa) S.da 

Colli Megaluzzi 8/4 - Ph.: +39 0432 716060 

www.gildovini.com - gildo@gildovini.com

Casa Luis (Sanguarzo) S.da di Guspergo 83 

Ph. +39 0432/701700 Mob.: 328 0677750 

info@casaluis.it - www.casaluis.it 

Il Roncal (Fornalis) v. Fornalis 148 

Cividale del Friuli Ph.: +39 0432 730138 

www.ilroncal.it @: info@ilroncal.it 

Ronco Albina, S.da Sant'Anna 50 

Ph.: + 39 0432716418 

@:info@roncoalbina.it; www.roncoalbina.it 

Agr.smo Chamir S.da Gradois 19 

Sanguarzo Ph.: +39 0432 732483 

www.agriturismo-chamir.it 

Agr.smo Al Bosco Romagno (Spessa), 

Strada di Spessa, 21 Ph.: +39 0432 716189 

www.boscoromagno.it 

Affittacamere Casa Galante 

via Zorutti 19 Cividale del Friuli (UD) 

39 366 3162709 www.casagalante.it 

Agriturismo La Magnolia 

Via Cormons, 169 Ph.: 0432/716262 

info@vinilamagnolia.it 

www.vinilamagnolia.it 

Hotels 

Agriturismo Ronchi Via Fornalis, 181 

Ph.: +39 0432 730790 

trattoriaalliron@gmail.it 

Agriturismo Borgo dei Sapori (Spessa) 

S.da di Planez 60 + 39 0432 732477 

+39 338 7440352 info@borgodeisapori.net 

Hotel Roma ***, P.zza Picco Alberto 14a 

Ph.: +39 0432 731871 

info@hotelroma-cividale.it 

www.hotelroma-cividale.it 

Locanda al Pomo D'Oro *** 

P.tta S. Giovanni 20 

Ph.: +39 0432 731489 

info@alpomodoro.com 

www.alpomodoro.com

Austria 

City of Graz, Austria 

The City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss 

Eggenberg bear witness to an exemplary model of 

the living heritage of a central European urban 

complex influenced by the secular presence of the 

Habsburgs and the cultural and artistic role played by 

the main aristocratic families. They are a harmonious 

blend of the architectural styles and artistic movements 

that have succeeded each other from the Middle Ages until 

the 18th century, from the many neighbouring regions of 

Central and Mediterranean Europe. They embody a diversified 

and highly comprehensive ensemble of architectural, 

decorative and landscape examples of these interchanges of 

influence. The historic centre of the city of Graz reflects artistic 

and architectural movements originating from the Germanic 

region, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, for which it served as a 

crossroads for centuries. The greatest architects and artists of these 

different regions expressed themselves forcefully here and thus 

created brilliant syntheses. The urban complex forming the historic 

centre of the city is an exceptional example of a harmonious integration 

of architectural styles from successive periods. Each age is represented 

by typical buildings, which are often masterpieces. The urban 

physiognomy faithfully tells the story of its historic development. The first 

traces of continuous human settlement go back to the Neolithic period. The 

site was not a Roman settlement, even though crossed by a few roads. After 

the fall of the Roman Empire, it was invaded, successively by Avars, 

Hungarians, and finally by German settlers. Graz was included in the March of 

Carinthia and mentioned for the first time in an official deed of 1128-29. Around 

this time an open market began to flourish, leading to urban development with 

the immigration of Bavarian settlers. After the Treaty of Neuberg (1379) and the 

first division of the Habsburg heritage, Graz came under the rule of the line 

established by Leopold III. The 16th century was marked by constant threats from 

the Turks, as well as religious turmoil. The medieval fortifications were modernized 

according to Renaissance principles. In 1564, Graz became the capital of Inner 

Austria, despite the danger of Turkish invasions and the advances made by the 

Reformation. When elected Emperor in 1618, Ferdinand, son of Archduke Charles II, 

transferred his court to Vienna, and Graz underwent a relative economic recession. When 

the danger from the Turks was finally averted the economy boomed once again. 

Aristocrats and bourgeoisie competed with each other in 

their aspirations for honours and culture, and several 

mansions were built in Renaissance or early Baroque 

style. Among the hundreds of buildings of great historic 

and architectural interest, a few particularly remarkable 

edifices are worthy of note. Of the original castle where 

Emperor Frederick III resided, all that remains is a Gothic 

hall, a late Gothic chapel, and a double spiral staircase 

going back to 1499. The wing constructed by Archduke 

Charles in 1570 has remained largely intact. Frederick III 

built the present cathedral in late Gothic style (1438-64) 

alongside a Romanesque church dedicated to St 

Aegidius. It contains admirable frescoes such as the 

'Scourges of God', attributed to Thomas von Villach 

(1480). Following the transfer of the bishopric from 

Seckau to Graz, the church of St Aegidius, used for 200 

years as a centre for the Counter-Reformation, became 

the cathedral of the new diocese in 1786. The 

Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, started in 1614 by 

Giovanni de Ponis, was only consecrated in 1714 when 

the interior decoration, entrusted to Johann Bernhard 

Fischer von Ehrlach, was completed. The facade in 

particular reflects the transition from the Renaissance to 

the Baroque style and is an original synthesis between a 

powerful architecture topped by light domes. The 

Seminary (former Jesuit College): unlike other colleges, 

this impressive complex, started in 1572, was not 

remodelled in the Baroque style and is therefore an 

important illustration of the severe Renaissance 

architecture adopted by the order when it was first 

established in the German province. After the dissolution 

of the order in 1773, the Jesuit University came under 

public control. In order to safeguard its collection, the 

library was installed in the old magna aula and in the 

theatre, on the orders of Empress Maria Theresa. Its 

decoration and furnishings make it a significant 

manifestation of the transition from the Rococo to the 

classical style, and it now serves as a show case for the 

Styrian Archives. 



The city of Graz has only short distances. Therefore 

the most suitable way to learn more about Graz is to 

walk along the small lanes and streets. An excellent 

network of bus and tram will bring you to the sites out 

of the centre. But you can also rent a bike to explore the 

city and its countryside. 

By car 

Graz is situated at the crossing of the highways A2 and A9. If 

passengers want to use the Austrian highways, they need a 

“vignette” troll sticker for all. 

By plane 

In the last years the airport of Graz has become more and more a 

major transport hub. Since the airport of Graz is very close to the city 

centre with good transport connections, a lot of people use this mode 

of transport to get to Graz. 

Currently there are direct flights operating from Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, 

Düsseldorf, Palma de Mallorca, Zürich – as well as from Vienna. By the airhubs 

Munich, Frankfurt and Vienna, you can easily reach Graz. 

By train 


cultural places and must events 

- Kunsthaus (contemporary art adjoined to historic 

architecture /iron house) 

- Island in the Mur 

- Shopping centre Kastner & Öhler: new renovated shop with 

a splendid shopping-hall and a terrace on the roof (“sky 

walk”) 

- WHE-festival 

- Long Night of museums (1. Saturday in October) 

- “Schloßbergfest” (family event on the Schloßberg / hill in the 

middle of Graz) 

- Advent in Graz 

- Thematic tours in Graz at special week-ends (offered by 

Graz-Guides) 

Austria 

The railway station in Graz is very close located to the city centre – passengers 

can reach it by tramlines in a few minutes. There are a lot of direct trains that 

connect Graz with national railway stations, for example from Vienna, Salzburg, 

Linz, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. Furthermore there are also direct connections to 

international railway stations for example from Munich, Stuttgart, Saarbrücken, 

Frankfurt, Zagreb, Prague, Ljubljana and Maribor. It is possible to reach Cividale del 

Friuli with the bus company S.A.F. http://www.saf.ud.it/

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Hotel Daniel 

Low-Budget Hotel 

Europaplatz 1, 8020 Graz 

T +43 (0)316 711 080-0 

www.hoteldaniel.com/de/graz.html 

Jugend- und Familiengästehaus 

Youth-hostel 

Idlhofgasse 74, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +4357083210 

http://www.jufa.eu/ 

Hotels 

Hotel Bed and Breakfast Graz 

Hotel and B&B 

Annenstraße 60, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +43 664 73 679 117 

www.hotelbb.at 

A&O Graz Hauptbahnhof 

Youth hostel, B&B 

Eggenberger Straße 7, 8020, Graz 

Tel: +43 316 570 162 37 00 

www.aohostels.com/de/graz/grazhauptbahnhof 

Ibis Graz Low-Budget Hotel 

Europaplatz 12, Lend, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +43 316 7780

Netherlands 

Amsterdam, 

The Defance Line 

Extending 135 km around the city of Amsterdam, this 

defence line (built between 1883 and 1920) is the only 

example of a fortification based on the principle of 

controlling the waters. Since the 16th century, the people 

of the Netherlands have used their expert knowledge of 

hydraulic engineering for defence purposes. The centre of 

the country was protected by a network of 45 armed forts, 

acting in concert with temporary flooding from polders and an 

intricate system of canals and locks. The Stelling van 

Amsterdam is of outstanding universal value as it is an 

exceptional example of an extensive integrated defence system 

of the modern period that has survived intact and well conserved 

since it was created in the later 19th century. It is also notable for 

the unique way in which the Dutch genius for hydraulic engineering 

has been incorporated into the defences of the nation's capital city. It 

is an excellent illustration of how the Netherlands defended itself 

against attack by water. In this country from time immemorial dykes, 

sluices and canals nave been built to drain the land; temporary flooding 

of the land forms the basis of the defensive system. This principle was 

first applied in the 16th century. The introduction of the new defensive 

system laid down in the 1874 Vestingwet (law on the use of fortresses) 

meant that a number of old fortified towns were relieved of their defensive 

role and so could expand outside their ramparts, which largely dated from the 

17th century. Under the terms of the Vestingwet, the Netherlands would be 

protected by nine defensive systems, most already in existence. This defensive 

line was almost complete in the mid-19th century, but it was partly superseded 

by the Stelling. It was based on flooding, using the intricate polder system of the 

western part of the Netherlands. The decision was taken to build the forts along the 

main defence line in non-reinforced concrete, an early application of this material. In 

1892 the northern end of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie was transferred to the 

Stelling, to form the eastern part of the defensive system. Certain modifications were 

carried out to the forts, in line with current military thinking. In the first phase forts were 

built at the mouths of the main watercourses leading into Amsterdam: a coastal fort at 

the mouth of the Noordzeekanaal, near Ijmuiden, and an island fort and two coastal 

batteries in the IJ east of the city where it joined the former Zuyder Zee. The standard forts 

on the Stelling were built in two stages. Between 1897 and 1906, 18 forts were built, and 

10 more, built to a modified design, were added between 1908 and 1914. The entire Stelling 

was manned throughout the First World War, even though 

the Netherlands was neutral in that conflict. During this 

period construction work continued, to be completed in 

1920. Two years later the government revised its 

defensive plan and decided to build the Holland Vesting, 

which included part of the Stelling, made obsolete with 

the introduction of aircraft into warfare. Part of the 

flooding was activated when Germany invaded the 

Netherlands in May 1940, but no fighting took place. The 

early forts were not abandoned until some time after the 

end of the Second World War; some structures are still in 

use by the Ministry of Defence. The defensive line is 

roughly circular, on a radius of approximately 15 km from 

the city centre, and extends over two provinces. The 

main defence line is some 135 km long and comprises 45 

forts, with a number of ancillary works. The soil is largely 

peat and clay, with sand in places. The sites of the forts 

are directly linked with the existing infrastructure of roads, 

waterways, dykes and settlements. The main defence line 

runs mainly along pre-existing dykes. The specific 

qualities of the landscape through which the line passes 

determined the character of the constructions; there are 

six main zones. The northern sector provides excellent 

facilities for flooding because of the large polders and 

reclaimed land, and so the forts here were only added in 

the final phase. The north-western sector runs over 

existing dykes, adapted for military use. The flooding 

capacity of the western sector was limited because of the 

city of Haarlem outside the Stelling and the higher ground 

behind the dunes; as a result there is a relatively larger 

number of forts, that at Spaarndam being the main one. 

I n t h e s o u t h - w e s t e r n s e c t o r, c o v e r i n g t h e 

Haarlemmermeerpolder (reclaimed in 1848-52), it was 

necessary to build a complete new defensive line with 

closely linked forts. The southern and south-eastern 

defences run through a region of inaccessible peat bog 

and link with the earlier Nieuwe Hollandse Watelinie 

System. Finally, the eastern sector, running along the 

coast of the former Zuyder Zee, was primarily defended 

by marines operating offshore; however, two batteries 

and the Pampus Island fort were built to close the 

entrance to Amsterdam harbour. 



Amsterdam is a world-class international transport hub 

so are countless the ways of getting into the city. Many 

travellers fly into the award-winning Amsterdam Airport 

Schiphol but also the train is a great option convenient 

and cost effective, the rail network in the Netherlands is 

second to none. The road network provides easy access to 

Amsterdam for those keen to travel by car or coach. 

By plane 

Amsterdam is very easy to reach by plane, train, car or even 

boat. Here's a selection of up-to-date information and useful tips 

to make your journey as easy as possible, no matter which mode 

of transportation you choose. 

By train 

If arriving in Amsterdam by train, it's likely that your journey will terminate 

at Amsterdam Central Station. From there it is simple to complete your 

journey with public transport or taxi. If you are travelling from another 

station in the Netherlands, it's possible that you can choose another 

Amsterdam train station nearer your accommodation. 



Amsterdam is home to many of the world's most famous 

museums. No trip to the city is complete without (at least) a 

visit to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk 

Museum or Anne Frank House. 

The city also has a multitude of treasures outside of the 

Museum District. From unusual museums about cats to an 

amazing collection of handbags, plus photography, 

archaeology and more, Amsterdam has museums and 

galleries to suit every type of interest. Check out I 

amsterdam’s selection of current exhibitions, museums and 

galleries below. 

By car 

Each year, about one million visitors arrive in Amsterdam by car. While the city is 

very hospitable to drivers, the inner city is quite an enclosed area. Before arriving, 

it is advisable to learn about the city's motorways, roads and parking options in 

order to make the most of your trip. 

Netherlands 

By boat 

Amsterdam is a major hub for transport and travel and still continues to receive millions 

of visitors each year who arrive by boat. Considering that the Dutch have been a seafaring 

nation for centuries, this is quite an appropriate gateway to the city. Whether you're 

disembarking from a cruise ship or private sail boat, find out how to best reach the city from 

the water.

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Bed & Breakfast den Boer 

Stationsweg 7 

1471 CL KWADIJK 

0299 621 212 

Bed & Breakfast Fort Amsterdam 

Geldersekade 70 

1012 BK AMSTERDAM 

06 20710332 info@fortamsterdam.com 

http://www.fortamsterdam.com 

Amsterdam CityMundo 

Schinkelkade 47 

1075 VK AMSTERDAM 

020 470 5705 

amsterdam@citymundo.com 

www,amsterdam.citymundo.com 

Hotels 

B & B De Bedstede 

Laan 26 

1151 AB BROEK IN WATERLAND 

020 403 1509 

bedstede@hotmail.com 

http://www.bedstede.nl 

Aalsmeerderweg 281a 

1432 CN AALSMEER 

0297 322 639 

Avvie B&Bs Amsterdam 

Kloveniersburgwal 55 

1011 JX AMSTERDAM

Hedonism…

Feeding my Soul 

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itinerary 

onism

Alto Douro 

Wine Region 

Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 

years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its 

quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding 

beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution. The Alto Douro Region 

has been producing wine for some 2,000 years and its landscape has been moulded by 

human activities. The components of the landscape are representative of the full range of 

activities association with winemaking - terraces, quintas (wine-producing farm complexes), 

villages, chapels and roads. Protected from the harsh Atlantic winds by the Marão and 

Montemuro mountains, the property is located in the north-east of Portugal, between 

Barqueiros and Mazouco, on the Spanish border. The terraces, by blending into infinity with 

the curves of the countryside, endow this property with its unique character. The Douro and 

its principal tributaries, the Varosa, Corgo, Távora, Torto and Pinhão, form the backbone of 

the nominated property, itself defined by a succession of watersheds. The boundaries 

correspond to identifiable natural features of the landscape - watercourses, mountain 

ridges, roads and paths. The landscape in the Demarcated Region of the Douro is formed 

by steep hills and boxed-in valleys that flatten out into plateaux above 400 m. 


It’s possible to reach Douro Region using a 

variety of forms of transportation, including 

the following: 

By plane: 

the International Airport Francisco Sá 

Carneiro is about 100 km (A4) from the city 

center of the most important city of region, 

Vila Real, and , 99 km (A4, N101 and N108) 

from the city centre of the most vineyard city, 

Peso da Régua, by car. 

By train: 

the railway station, located at the city center 

of Peso da Régua, makes a direct 

connection to the city center of Oporto. 

Douro’s railway cross the World Heritage Site 

between Porto de Rei (municipality of Mesão 

Frio) and Pocinho (municipality of Vila Nova 

de Foz Côa), just about 120km. 

By bus: 

There are several bus of different companies 

that connects (directly or not) Vila Real, Peso 

da Régua and Lamego, the main cities of 

Douro region, with Porto and Lisboa (and 

other citys of Portugal). 

By car: 

From the current network of motorways: 

Peso da Régua arrives at the Porto in about 

1 hour and 18 minutes (through A4, N101 

and N108), Braga 1 hour and 20 minutes 

(A24 and A7), Salamanca (Spain) in 2 hours 

and 53 minutes (A25 and A-62 Autovia de 

Castilla) and Lisbon 3 hours and 24 minutes 

(A24, IP3 and A1); Vila Real arrives at the 

Porto in about 1 hour and 7 minutes 

(through A4), Braga 1 hour and 11 minutes 

(A7), Salamanca (Spain) in 3 hours and 8 

minutes (A24, A25 and A-62 Autovia de 

Castilla) and Lisbon 3 hours and 39 minutes 

(A24, IP3 and A1); There are companies 

offering rent a car in Peso da Régua, Vila 

Real and Porto. 

By boat: From Oporto it’s possible to arrive 

at Peso da Régua by boat and it’s also 

possible to make Douro’s cruises of different 

places – Peso da Régua, Pinhão, Barca de 

Alva and different time (between 2 and 8 

days). There are different companies that 

offer those cruise services. 

Portugal

The Douro valley is now water-filled behind dams. Soil is almost non-existent, which is why 

walls were built to retain the manufactured soil on the steep hillsides. It has been created 

literally by breaking up rocks and is known as 'anthroposoil'. The most dominant feature of 

the landscape is the terraced vineyards that blanket the countryside. Throughout the 

centuries, row upon row of terraces have been built according to different techniques. The 

earliest, employed pre-Phylloxera (pre-1860), was that of the socalcos , narrow and 

irregular terraces buttressed by walls of schistous stone that were regularly taken down and 

rebuilt, on which only one or two rows of vines could be planted. The long lines of 

continuous, regularly shaped terraces date mainly from the end of the 19th century when 

the Douro vineyards were rebuilt, following the Phylloxera attack. The new terraces altered 

the landscape, not only because of the monumental walls that were built but also owing to 

the fact that they were wider and slightly sloping to ensure that the vines would be better 

exposed to the sun. Furthermore, these terraces were planted with a greater number of 

rows of vines, set more widely apart, in order to favour the use of more technical equipment 

such as mule-drawn ploughs. Transforming the natural environment, clearing the land, and 

restructuring the hillsides required a great of labour that was brought in from outside. The 

more recent terracing techniques, the patamares , and the vertical planting that began in 

the 1970s, have greatly altered the appearance of this built landscape. Large plots of 

slightly sloping earth-banked land, usually planted with two rows of vines, were laid out to 

facilitate mechanization of the vineyard. Trials of other systems are continuing with a view to 

finding alternatives to the patamares and to minimize the impact of the new methods on 

the landscape. Among the expanse of vineyards remain areas, nevertheless, which have 

survived untouched since the days of Phylloxera, abandoned socalcos known as 

mortórios . These have become overrun with native scrub or olive trees. More continuous, 

regular olive groves have been planted on either side of the land under vine. In the Upper 

Douro, olive and almond trees represent the dominant crops, although these are slowly 

being replaced by vines. Along the lower banks of the Douro or on the edges of 

watercourses on the hillsides are groves of orange trees, sometimes walled. On the 

heights, above the altitude at which vines can grow, the land is covered with brushwood 

and scrub and rare coppices. During the long, hot, dry summers of the region, water used 

to be collected in underground catchments located on the hills or even within a vineyard. 

Above, characteristically white-walled villages, medieval in origin, and casais are usually 

located midway up the valley sides. Around an 18th-century parish church, rows of houses 

open directly on to the street to form a web of narrow winding roads with notable examples 

of vernacular architecture. The Douro quintas are major landmarks, easily identified by the 

groups of farm buildings around the main house. No churches or shrines of any significant 

value lie in the World Heritage site, although the landscape is dotted with small chapels 

located high on the hills or next to manor houses. 

And the nearby Other outstanding cultural places and must 

events 

Barcos - On the slopes of the river Távora lies Barcos, a wine producing village in the 

municipality of Tabuaço. It is believed that the village of Barcos had a medieval castle, built 

as a defense to the Moorish invasions. Other authors reported that the former parish of 

Santa Maria de Sabroso, prior to the formation of the country, have given rise to Barcos, 

during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In this village there a place called Santo 

Aleixo, where are placed several farms, such as Quinta do Serro, narrated in the tale "O 

Cerro", from the work "Mulheres da Beira", wrote by Abel Botelho and published in 1829. 

The church of Barcos, one of the most valuable monuments of the village, was built during 

the XIII/ XIV centuries, and it was classified as a National Monument, in 1922.Rural areas | 

Tabuaço; Favaios - The origins of Favaios, one of the six wine producing villages of 

Portugal, go back to the Iron Age, when people lived in fortified villages, forts, with strategic 

positions. There are still remains of walls of this constructions. It is believed that its name 

derives from the word "Flavia", name of the second dinasty of the Roman Empire, which 

also ruled in the area. In 1211, Favaios received its first charter, given by the king Afonso III. 

In the village of Favios homemade bread and the wine Moscatel delight any visitor. At the 

Museum of Bread and Wine the importance of these two regional products is very clear, as 

the evolution of the population over the centuries is portrayed.Rural areas | Favaios, Alijó; 

Provesende - Wine producing village with rural characteristics. The pilory, the fountain, the 

church of the 18th century, the chapel of Santa Marinha, the luso-romano cemetery at 

Quinta da Relva and several manorial houses, such as Calçada, Fojo, Fundo da Vila, Praça 

and Santo, are the most relevant heritage sites. 

Rural areas. Provesende, Sabrosa; Salzedas - Salzedas, which means "salgueiral" in 

Latin, an abundant vegetation that can be found on the banks of the river Varosa, is one of 

the six wine producing villages of Portugal. Since the fifth and sixth centuries, who passed 

by Lusitan, Roman, Swabians, Visigoths ans Muslims, those in the eight century. There are 

signs indicating that the "Bairro do Quelho" was, probably, inhabited by Jews. However, it 

was only after the twelfth century that the town has emerged as Salzedas, after the king 

Afonso Henriques donate the Couto of Algeriz to Teresa Afonso, the widow of Egas Moniz 

in 1163. A few years later the Cistercians monks settled in the area and built the Monastery 

of Santa Maria de Salzedas.Rural areas | Salzedas, Tarouca; Trevões - Located in the 

municipality of São João da Pesqueira, Trevões was a municipality between 1159 and the 

mid-nineteenth century, encompassing the parishes of Penela, Póvoa de Penela, Chestnut, 

Espinhosa, Paredes, Riodades, Valongo, Várzea and Pereiro. Trevões is one of the six 

portuguese wine producing villages. In addition to wine production, Trevões has several 

cultures, such as the olive oil, fruits and vegetables, in addition to wood such as pine and 

eucalyptus. Trevões is placed on a plateau, full of tilled fields, and surrounded by terraces 

filled with vineyards, interrupted by more mountainous areas, where the forest stands 

out.Rural areas | São João da Pesqueira. 

Ucanha - Wine producing village built on more than 450 meters of altitude, on the slopes 

of the mountain range Serra de Santa Helena, which descends towards the river Varosa. 

Around the town stands out several crops, like corn or olive. At Ucanha's entrance rises a 

bridge, surmounted by a tower, at one of its ends. The Tower of Ucanha marked the 

entrance to the old Monastery of Salzedas, and the passage was granted, only after paying 

a toll.Rural areas | Ucanha, Tarouca; Route of the Wine-Producing Villages - In the slopes of 

Douro there are six wine producing villages that stand out for the cultural richness and 

unique landscapes. Barcos Favaios, Provesende, Salzedas, Trevões and Ucanha must be 

visited, because they offer unique experiences through their heritage, gastronomy and 

surrounding nature.Tematic routes | Alijó. 


Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

• Douro Palace Hotel Resort & SPA**** 

• Santa Cruz do Douro, Baião 

• Hotel Aquapura Douro Valley*****, 

Samodães, Lamego 

• Agua Hotels Douro Scala*****, Mesão 

Frio 

• Delfim Douro Hotel****, Samodães, 

Lamego 

• Hotel Douro*, Pinhão, Alijó; Hotel Casa 

do Tua**, Tua 

• Hotel Lamego****, Lamego 

• Hotel Miracorgo****, Vila Real 

• Hotel Rural - Casa Viscondes da 

Várzea, Várzea de Abrunhais, Lamego 

• Hotel Rural de Penedono, Penedono 

• Hotel Rural da Quinta do Silval, Vale de 

Mendiz, Pinhão, Alijó 

Hotels 

• Hotel Porto Antigo**** 

Oliveira do Douro, Cinfães 

• Pousada do Barão de Forrester*** 

Alijó 

• Hotel Rural Quinta Nova de Nª 

Senhora do Carmo, Quinta Nova, 

Covas do Douro, Sabrosa 

• Hotel Rural Solar dos Marcos****, 

Bemposta, Mogadouro 

• Hotel Régua Douro****, Peso da 

Régua 

• Hotel Vintage House *****, 

Pinhão, Alijó 

• Solar dos Canavarros Hotel 

Douro***, Sabrosa

Enotourism and Rural accommodations 

• Casa de Canilhas, Banjuda, 

Mesão Frio 

• Casa Cimeira, Valença do Douro, 

Tabuaço 

• Casa da Quinta da Calçada, 

Oliveira do Douro, Cinfães 

• Casa da Cisterna, Castelo 

Rodrigo, Casa da Ermida, 

Ermida, Baião 

• Casa das Pipas, Celeirós do 

Douro, Sabrosa 

• Casa de Sto António de Britiande, 

Britiande, Lamego; Casa dos 

Varais, Cambres, Lamego 

• Casa de Vilarinho; Vilarinho 

de S. Romão 

• Casal de Tralhariz, Tralhariz, 

Carrazeda de Ansiães 

• Quinta da Barroca, 

Queimada, Armamar 

• Moínhos da Tia Antoninha, 

Lugar do Cabeço de Lebrais, 

Leomil, Moimenta da Beira 

• Monte de S. Sebastião, Quinta de 

S. Sebastião, Murça 

• Outros Tempos, Arícera, 

Armamar, Quinta da Boa 

Passagem, Porto de Rei, Mesão 

Frio 

• Quinta das Herédias, Granjinha, 

Tabuaço 

• Quinta da Azenha, Folgosa, 

Armamar 

• Quinta do Ervedal, Santa Marinha 

do Zêzere, Baião 

• Quinta de Marnotos, Sta 

Marinha, Baião 

• Casa Agrícola de Cevêr, Stª 

Marta de Penaguião 

• Quinta de S. Martinho, 

Mateus, Vila Real 

• Quinta de Santo António, 

Adorigo, Tabuaço 

• Quinta do Terreiro, Lalim, 

Lamego 

• Quinta da Timpeira, 

Lamego 

• Quinta do Vallado 

dos Freires, Peso da Régua 

• Vila Hostilina, Turismo de 

Habitação - Lamego 

• Quinta de Tourais, Cambre, 

Lamego

Flemish 

Beguinages 

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. 

In the 13th century they founded the béguinages , enclosed communities designed to meet 

their spiritual and material needs. The Flemish béguinages are architectural ensembles 

composed of houses, churches, ancillary buildings and green spaces, with a layout of 

either urban or rural origin and built in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They are 

a fascinating reminder of the tradition of the Béguines that developed in north-western 

Europe in the Middle Ages. The Flemish Béguinages demonstrate outstanding physical 

characteristics of urban and rural planning and a combination of religious and traditional 

architecture in styles specific to the Flemish cultural region. They bear exceptional witness 

to the cultural tradition of independent religious women in north-western Europe in the 

Middle Ages. They also constitute an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble 

associated with a religious movement characteristic of the Middle Ages associating both 

secular and conventual values. 

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. 

In the 13th century they founded the Béguinages, enclosed communities designed to meet 

their spiritual and material needs. 


IThe most accessible belfries in Flanders are 

located in the five art cities: Antwerpen, 

Brugge, Gent, Leuven, and Mechelen. The 

other sites can be visited equally, but it is 

rather difficult to reach them using public 

transport. If you wish to visit several belfries 

in smaller cities, it is recommended to rent a 

car. 

by plane 

Train shuttle service is located on the lower 

level of Brussels International Airport and 

connects to the city of Brussels in 20 

minutes and to Antwerp in 35 minutes. Buy 

your ticket before getting on the train to 

avoid a surcharge fee. Busses are located on 

level 0. Every hour the Brussels Airport - 

Antwerp Express takes you to the city center 

of Antwerp in 45 minutes. On weekdays and 

Saturdays the first departure is at 5:00 a.m., 

the last departure at 12 midnight. On 

Sundays the first departure is at 7:00 a.m. 

and the last at 12 midnight. Taxi service is 

also available from the airport. 

by train 

Getting to Flanders is easy. Brussels is the 

heart of Europe. London, Paris and 

Amsterdam are all less than two hours away. 

In the US, contact Rail Europe for more 

information on The international Flemish train Béguinages are architectural 

services.The ensembles Thalys also links composed Brussels to of houses, churches, 

For amenities, 

ancillary 

visit: http:// 

buildings and green spaces, with a layout 

www.belgianrail.be/en/Default.aspx 

of either urban or rural 

The 

origin and built in styles 

Belgian Rail 

specific 

offers different 

to the 

specials 

Flemish 

and 

cultural region. They are a 

passes. To find 

fascinating 

out what the 

reminder 

right ticket 

of 

is for 

the tradition of the 

you, visit: http://www.belgianrail.be/en/ 

Béguines that developed in north-western Europe 

travel-tickets/which-is-the-right-ticket-forme.aspx 

in the Middle Ages. 

The spontaneous emergence of the Béguine 

Belgium 

Mechelen 

Leuven 

Gent 

Brugge

movement around 1200 reflects the current of religious renewal which swept Western 

Europe at the beginning of the 13th century and in which women played an important role. 

In addition to the many women who entered the religious life by way of the convents, 

others developed an original 'semi-religious' way of life in which they could dedicate 

themselves to God without withdrawing entirely from the world. Among these mulieres 

religiosæ, neither nuns nor simple laïty, of northern Europe, the Béguines began to lead an 

individual or community life devoted to prayer, caring for the sick and manual labour. 

Established for the most part in urban communities, they occupied houses near the 

hospitals and leper hospitals. Unmarried or widowed, they took no vows and were free to 

come and go in society and to withdraw from the community at will. The Béguinage was 

supervised by a Béguine, commonly known as the Grande Dame, who was elected for a 

limited term and was in many béguinages assisted by a council. Whereas the life of the 

béguinages was characterized by simplicity and humility, this by no means ruled out 

personal possessions: wealthier Béguines built or rented their own houses, others lived in 

community houses, and the poorest lived in the infirmary. In all cases, each had to provide 

for her own keep, and many worked in the textile industry. They are not all preserved in 

their entirety. Many have been partially dismantled (Antwerp, Hasselt, Petit Béguinage of 

Leuven, Petit Béguinage of Mecheln, Herentals, Aarschot) or largely incorporated into the 

urban fabric of the vicinity (Grand Béguinage of Gent). Certain suffered damage during 

either the First or the Second World War (the Béguinage of Dixmude was rebuilt during the 

1920s; Aarschot, partially rebuilt after 1944, still has four of its original houses; and the 

church of Hasselt was destroyed in 1944). 

The Béguinages formed miniature towns, enclosed by walls or surrounded by ditches, with 

gates opening to the 'world' during the day. They were organized according to one of two 

models: one, the city type, reflecting on a smaller scale the model of a medieval city, with a 

plot set aside for the cemetery, or the square where the church is built; the other, the 

courtyard type, with a central area, varying in shape and often consisting of a lawn planted 

with trees, where the church is located, and around which the houses are aligned. A third 

or mixed type, the result of certain extensions in the 17th and 18th centuries, combines 

both layouts. 


MECHELEN 

HANSWIJK PROCESSION 

After the successful jubilee celebration of Hanswijk - with the 12th Hanswijk cavalcade - 

now a completely renewed Hanswijk procession. Giving a positive answer to many 

questions of life, giving a "Yes" answer to God. All these answers were given to questions 

asked through the ages : Where do people go What are we on earth for Dynamics, 

sounds and colors, dances and words, beauty and artisticity.... An attractive procession 

with about 2.000 actors and a lot of fellow workers. Come and see! Sunday 18 May 2014; 

Grote Markt, Mechelen 

MECHELEN HEARS VOICES 

Enchantment, adventure and memorable encounters. Never-to-be-forgotten concerts of 

music for a modern-day audience. For three whole weeks some of the best voices will be in 

Mechelen for your pleasure. More than at any other time, you will hear classical vocal music 

outside the concert halls. Voices will tap you on the shoulder when you are least expecting 

it. And if we are in a concert hall, it will feed the music and intensify the magic between 

musician and audience. April-May; various locations USE-IT Get the map http://www.useit.be/mechelen/ 

GENT 

GHENT FESTIVITIES / GENTSE FEESTEN 

After more than 160 years of existence, the Ghent Festivities have become one of the best 

festivals in Europe. Four international festivals take place there over a period of ten days, 

with free music on 10 squares, children’s entertainment at various different locations in the 

city and hundreds of indoor and outdoor activities. In 2014, for the first time, the festival will 

start on Friday evening and end on Sunday evening. From Friday, July 18, 2014 to Sunday, 

July 27, 2014; inner city of Ghent 

FILM FEST GENT 

Every year Ghent film festival presents some 200 feature films and short films from around 

the globe. The festival enjoys an excellent international reputation and is quite unique in 

focusing on the impact of music on film. The International Film Festival of Flanders Ghent is 

also the organizer and driving force behind the World Soundtrack Academy. The awards 

ceremony is inevitably the high point of the festival. Every year the festival also organizes 

concerts of film music and exhibitions which have a link with film. From Tuesday, October 

14, 2014 to Saturday, October 25, 2014; various movie theatres and locations in Ghent 

LIGHT FESTIVAL GHENT 

In recent years the City of Ghent has invested heavily in scenic lighting for the city centre. 

The Ghent lighting plan has also received international awards. The Light Festival wishes to 

highlight this lighting plan and give visitors the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Ghent’s 

unique hidden charm. The next edition of the Light Festival in Ghent will be in spring 2015. 

From that moment on it will be a festival that takes place every three years on various 

locations in the city. 


MID-LENT FUN FAIR 

Young and old meet to enjoy the colourful whirlwind of fairground attractions: luna parks, 

roller coasters, merry- go-rounds and dodgems. How can you resist! End of March, 

beginning of April; Sint-Pietersplein, Ghent 

ODE GAND / GENT FESTIVAL 

OdeGand is a celebration of music on and along Ghent’s canals. Travel by boat from one 

concert to the next and enjoy concerts of all genres (flamenco, jazz, classical music,...). 

One ticket grants you access to all boats as well as to over 50 concerts. Don’t miss our 

breath-taking musical happening at Graslei and Korenlei later that night. September 2014; 

various locations in the city. USE-IT GHENT Get the map at http://www.use-it.be/ghent/ 

LEUVEN 

LEUVEN JAZZ 

Concerts, exhibitions, lectures, free podium. A mixture of young talents and great artists. 

March; various locations 

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL DOCVILLE 

Enjoy a selection of the best national and international documentaries in various locations 

throughout the city. All films are in English or with English subtitles. April-May; various 

locations 

BEER FESTIVAL 

During the last weekend of April, Leuven will demonstrate why it's known as the beer 

capital. The city will open all the taps during this unforgettable beer weekend. Enhoy 

tastings, brewery visits, workshops and delicious beer- based dishes. Leuven's hotels also 

offer various beer packages. Last weekend of April; various locations, Leuven 

BELEUVENISSEN 

In 2014, this free music festival is organised for the 26th year running, with concerts in four 

locations in the historic city centre. On the programme: national and international music in 

open air in Grote Markt, Oude Markt, Vismarkt and Mathieu de Layensplein. 3 Fridays in 

July and August; various locations. 

M-IDZOMER 

Unique summer festival in the atmospheric enclosed garden of MMuseum Leuven with 

concerts, comedy, performance, dance, spoken word and visual art. August; MMuseum, 

Leuven. 

MARKTROCK 

Three days of rock and festival in the city. Around 15 August; various lcocations 

PLAYGROUND 

Festival in which renowned international artists present their most fascinating performances 

and exhibitions. November; STUK, Leuven 

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL LEUVEN IKL 

The International Short Film Festival presents a wide selection of excellent short films, 

including fiction and animation, documentaries, experimental films and video clips. The 

emphasis is on the Flemish and European short film competitions. In addition, the 

International Short Film Festival Leuven spares no expense on children’s films, retrospective 

programmes and specials every year. All films are either in English or subtitled. The entire 

programme is available starting in early November at www.kortfilmfestival.be Beginning of 

December; various locations. USE-IT Get the free map at http://www.use-it.be/leuven/ 

LEUVEN IN SCÈNE 

High quality emotional and magical performances. July; various locations

BRUGGE. JAZZ BRUGGE 

Biannual Jazz Festival when Bruges becomes the Mecca of European Jazz. Always flirting 

with adventurous and contemporary jazz, thereby striving for top quality, the Jazz Festival 

treats us to a carefully thought-out selection of some twenty European ensembles from all 

over the old continent over the period of four days. From Thursday, October 2, 2014 to 

Sunday, October 5, 2014; various venues in Bruges 

KLINKERS 

Klinkers sets the tone for the Bruges summer! For two weeks, Bruges city centre forms the 

backdrop for musical and other fireworks. BENENWERK – BALLROOM BRUGEOISE is the 

icing on the cake of the Bruges city festival Klinkers. Every year, this festive 14-day event is 

concluded in true style with a large, free dance party. With eleven indoor and outdoor 

stages, showing many types of dance music all over the historical city centre, Klinkers 

seeks to break the record of largest dance floor in Flanders. From Friday, July 25, 2014 to 

Saturday, August 9, 2014; Markt, Bruges 

HOLY BLOOD PROCESSION 

The Procession of the Holy Blood, which certainly dates back to 1304, is held every year 

on Ascension Day. Despite the changes that the procession has undergone throughout the 

centuries, the most profound spirituality prevails through the memory of the suffering of 

Jesus Christ. Following the Jubilee (2000) the procession has been renewed and updated. 

From Thursday, May 29, 2014 to Thursday, May 29, 2014; Basilica of St Basil, Burg 

Square, Markt Square and streets in the center of Bruges 

CACTUS FESTIVAL 

Cactus is a festival on a human scale, in a relaxed atmosphere, which deliberately 

dissociates itself from the trends towards 'more' and 'bigger'. You will not suffer any 

agonising dilemmas, as Cactus opts for one stage, which means the audience can watch 

the programme from start to finish. An atmospheric festival that manages to titillate the 

senses off-stage too, with fresh animation and appropriate decoration. A venue where 

reputed musicians, musical innovators of the future and a musically open-minded audience 

come together. From Friday, July 11, 2014 to Sunday, July 13, 2014 ; Minnewaterpark, 

Bruges. USE-IT BRUGGE Get the map at http://www.use-it.be/bruges/

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Youth hostel De Zandpoort 

Zandpoortvest 70, 2800 Mechelen 

www.mechelen-hostel.com 

mechelen@vjh.be +32 15 27 85 39 

B&B ’t Plein 

Gijsbeekstraat 61, 2811 Mechelen 

www.tplein.be 

tplein1@telenet.be 

+32 15 43 11 22 

Hotels 

MECHELEN 

Guesthouse Komzo 

Stuivenbergbaan 240, 2800 Mechelen 

http://www.komzo.be 

B&B Jan Bol 

Jan Bolstraat 23, 2800 Mechelen 

www.janbol.be 

info@janbol.be 

+32 15 34 40 99 

B&B Dusk Till Dawn 

Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat 81, 2800 

Mechelen www.dusktilldawn.be 

info@dusktilldawn.be +32 15 43 29 22 

B&B Fran Van Buggenhout 

Straatje zonder Einde 3, 2800 

Mechelen www.rentrooms.be 

fran.ronny@skynet.be 

32 15 43 05 99

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Hostel De Draecke 

Sint-Widostraat 11, 9000 Gent 

www.jeugdherbergen.be/gent 

roger.van.kelst@vjh.be 

+3232327218 

KaBa Hostel 

Filips van Arteveldestraat 35 

9000 Gent 

www.kabahostel.be 

info@kabahostel.be 

+3292335333 

B&B Au contraire 

Monterreystraat 38-40, 9000 Gent 

www.aucontraire.be - info@aucontraire.be 

+32 9 221 10 80 

GENT 

B&B Goeiemorgen 

Stropstraat 126, 9000 Gent 

www.goeiemorgen.eu 

elsplyson@hotmail.com 

+32 9 221 03 54 

B&B Betracie & Marcus 

Wolterslaan 183, 9040 Gent 

www.bedandbreakfast-gent.be/_nl/ 

ggg_detail.phpid=15 

marcus_hoogveld@scarlet.be 

+32 9 238 10 65 

B&B Faja Lobi 

Tarbotstraat 31 - 9000 Gent 

www.fajalobi.be 

fajalobigent@telenet.be 

+32 9 223 55 33 

• B&B Fred & Breakfast 

Coupure Links 645, 9000 Gent 

www.fredandbreakfast.be 

info@fredandbreakfast.be 

• B&B Portus Ganda 

Keizer Karelstraat 97, 9000 Gent 

sites.google.com/site/bbportusganda/ 

kamerenontbijt 

ro.dewaele@skynet.be 

+32 9 223 97 73

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Hostel De Blauwput 

Martelarenlaan 11, 3010 Leuven 

www.jeugdherbergen.be 

yannic.ulens@gmail.com 

+3216639092 

B&B De Kapel 

Baron August de Becker Remyplein 51 

3010 Leuven 

www.dekapelleuven.be 

an.smout@telenet.be 

+32 16 23 53 61 

Bauhaus Hostel (St. Christopher’s Hostel) 

Langestraat 133, 8000 Brugge 

www.bauhaus.be - ludo@bauhaus.be 

+32 50 34 10 93 

BRUGGE, LEUVEN 

International Youth Hostel Europa Baron 

Ruzettelaan 143, 8310 

Brugge (Assebroek) 

brugge@vjh.be +32 50 352679 

Snuffel Backpackers Hostel 

Ezelstraat 47-49, 8000 Brugge 

info@snuffel.be +32 50 333133 

B&B Ardewolf; Oost-Proosse 9 

8000 Brugge http://www.ardewolf.be 

info@ardewolf.be +32 50 33 83 6 

B&B Christiane Blondeel 

Sint-Clarastraat 47, 8000 Brugge 

www.bedandbraekfastbruge.be 

christiane.blondeel@telenet.be 

+32 50 67 83 65 

B&B La Maison Zenasni 

Riddersstraat 10, 8000 Brugge 

www.lamaison-zenasni.be 

info@lamaison-zenasni.be 

+32 478 23 21 07 

B&B Marie-Paule Gesquiere 

Oost-Proosse 14, 8000 Brugge 

www.gastenkamermariepaule.be 

mariepaulegesquiere@hotmail.com 

+32 50 33 92 46 

B&B St. Jacobs 

Oude Zak 20, 8000 Brugge 

www.stjacobs.be info@stjacobs.be 

+32 50 67 73 99

Cividale 

del Friuli 

The boundaries of the nominated properties are the “Gastaldaga area with the so-called 

Tempietto Longobardo” and the “Episcopal complex with the Palazzo Patriarcalebelow the 

National Archaeological Museum”. Both the Gastaldaga and the Episcopal complex (insula 

episcopalis) correspond to the heart of the Longobard city. That of Cividale del Friuli – the 

first Longobard Duchy in Italy - is an emblematic example of the urban culture of the 

Longobard period, which brings together in one place the most important centres of power 

in the city. In the GASTALDAGA area - the royal court inside the Duchy - stands the 

Tempietto longobardo (Oratorio of Santa Maria in Valle), one of the most complex and 

original buildings of Longobard architecture. The Tempietto, together with the palatine 

Church of San Giovanni. The complex is included in the Monastery of Santa Maria in Valle. 

The Episcopal complex (insula episcopalis), renovated and extended by the Patriarch 

Callisto, consisted of a set of communicating buildings which included the Basilica of Santa 

Maria Assunta, the Baptistery of Saint John and the Patriarchal Palace below the actual 

National Archaeological Museum. From the Baptistery come two of the most important 

works of Longobard sculpture, currently preserved in the Museo Cristiano e Tesoro del 

Duomo: the Callisto's "Tegurium" - an octagonal aedicule which covered the baptismal 

font - and the Altar commissioned by King Ratchis, the only sculptural piece from the 

Longobard era featuring a biblical narrative theme. 


Cividale del Friuli is located in the Friuli 

Venezia Giulia Region and it can be reached 

with the following transportation: 

By bus 

It is possible to reach Cividale del Friuli with 

the bus company S.A.F. http:// 

www.saf.ud.it/ 

By train 

Trenitalia 

http://www.trenitalia.it 

Railway Udine Cividale 

Italy 

By car 

http://www.ferrovieudinecividale.it 

Taking the highway A23-Udine or taking the 

State Road 54 (Udine - Cividale) Cividale is 

just 23 km far away from Udine ; 30 km from 

Gorizia and 65 Km from Trieste

The 16th century transcription of a diploma of Berengarius i (889-890 or 917-918 A.D.) 

states that in the place known as Valle there was the Gastaldaga, or seat of the gastaldus 

regis, the administrative officer in charge of the fiscal estate and of the possessions of the 

Longobard King in Cividale and in the Duchy of Friuli. 

The low lying area called Valle – which occupies the south-eastern area of the city, close to 

the walls, not far from an ancient city gate, called porta Brossana – is an area with its own 

particular atmosphere, overlooking the craggy chasm in which the river Natisone flows, in a 

place which is both impervious and picturesque, capable of evoking the prestigious 

medieval past of this ducal city. Possibly, this area had already assumed a central function 

within the urban structure under the domination of the Goths. 

This situation conditioned the development of monuments in the area around the church of 

San Giovanni, the city’s most important and oldest religious building, second only to the 

cathedral, and in the area of the a small building known as the Tempietto Longobardo 

(literally, “the little Longobard Temple”), a work of unparalleled splendor dating from the late 

Longobard period, which can be considered a royal building. 

Other elements brought to light during the 2008 archaeological excavations, in a small 

courtyard located between the apse of San Giovanni and the southern perimeter of the 

Tempietto, can be identified as parts of the original layout of the valley site. 

Investigations carried out here in 1962 had previously found evidence of the first phase of 

frequentation of the site as a series of interconnecting rectangular rooms, paved in mosaic, 

that extended below the sacristy of the Tempietto. 

The 2008 investigations clearly demonstrated that these structures, which can now be 

visited by the public visit, were partly reused in construction of the religious buildings for the 

Longobard palace, which in fact seem to have been well integrated with those pre-existing 

structures. 

It is in this context, probably still during the Longobard period, that the Monastery of Santa 

Maria incorporated older buildings, and became the core of a new building complex. 

Because the Monastery was considerably developed during subsequent periods and right 

up to today, it is not easy to identify the surviving traces of the ancient palace settlement. 

After Hjilmar Torp had completed his investigations, remnants of the Early Middle Ages 

Palace of gastaldus were identified in archaeological structures came to light within the 

church of San Giovanni, in a space that connects the cloister to the narthex. Here it can be 

seen that in the rebuilding of this church and the south-western arm of the Monastery, the 

orientation of the earlier structure was respected and adhered to, in both cases. 

Recent stratigraphic tests of the wall construction further confirm that on each occasion 

when the Monastery complex was reorganised over the centuries, the intention was always 

to respect the older building, and to replicate a space that had particular architectural 

significance within the overall arrangement. 


Affittacamere di Qualizza Paolo, B.go S. 

Pietro, 91; Ph.: + 39 0432 700246 

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Affittacamere di Picotti Eugenio, S.tta S. 

Valentino, 14; Ph.: + 39 0432 731489; 

FAX: + 39 (0) 432 701257; @: 

info@alpomodoro.com; 

www.almpomodoro.com 

Affittacamere di Bardus Ivano & C. s.n.c., 

Via Carraria, 100 

Ph: +39 0432 730201 

Bed&Breakfast 

+ 

Rooms Rental 

Affittacamere di Roiatti Mauro 

C.so Mazzini 15 

Mob: + 39 349 0765288 + 39 349 3248997 

info@lacjasedaitoscans.it 

roiattimauro@libero.it 


Affittacamere Casa Galante 

via Zorutti 19 Cividale del Friuli (UD) 

Ph.: + 39 366 3162709 

www.casagalante.it 


Strada di Sant'Anna, 40/A 

Ph: +39 0432 716009 

www.allapineta.it 


Via Strada di Spessa,23 

Ph: +39 0432 716094; Mobile: +39 333 

8643852 casafiorata@libero.it 

Azienda Agrituristica Case Gortani di 

Cudis Walter (Sanguarzo) 

Via San Floreano, 89 + 39 0432 733775 

+39 328 8458882 waltercudis@alice.it 


Strada di Guspergo, 19 

Ph. 39 0432 701498 

+39 339 1123330 

www.aicasali.it - info@aicasali.it 


(Sanguarzo), via Valli del Natisone, 112 

Loc. Sanguarzo; Ph.: +39 0432 709995 

soravi@alice.it 

Azienda Agricola "Gildo"(Spessa) 

Strada Colli Megaluzzi, 8/4 

Ph.: +39 0432 716060 

www.gildovini.com - gildo@gildovini.com

Casa Luis (Sanguarzo) 

S.da di Guspergo, 83 

Ph. +39 0432/701700 

Mob.: 328 0677750 

info@casaluis.it - www.casaluis.it 

Il Roncal (Fornalis), Via Fornalis, 148 

Cividale del Friuli - Ph.: +39 0432 730138 

www.ilroncal.it - info@ilroncal.it 

Ronco Albina 

Strada Sant'Anna, 50 

Ph.: + 39 0432 716418 

info@roncoalbina.it 

www.roncoalbina.it 

Agriturismo Chamir 

Strada Gradois, 19 loc. Sanguarzo 

Ph.: +39 0432 732483 

info@agriturismo-chamir.it 


Agriturismo Al Bosco Romagno 

Strada di Spessa, 21 

Ph.: +39 0432 716189 

info@boscoromagno.it 



Via Cormons, 169 

Ph.: 0432/716262 - info@vinilamagnolia.it 


Agriturismo Ronchi di Fornalis 

Via Fornalis, 181 - Ph.: +39 0432 730790 


Hotels 

Agriturismo Borgo dei Sapori (Spessa) 

Strada di Planez, 60 

Ph.: + 39 0432 73247 +39 338 7440352 

www.borgodeisapori.net 

info@borgodeisapori.net 

Hotel Roma *** 

Piazza Picco Alberto, 14/A 

Ph.: +39(0)432 731871 





Ph.: +39(0)432 731489 


www.alpomodoro.com

Genius…


itinerary 

Genius 

Finding the routes 

of mankind

Painted Chuches 

This region is characterized by one of the largest groups of churches and 

monasteries of the former Byzantine Empire. The complex of 10 monuments 

included on the World Heritage List, all richly decorated with murals, 

provides an overview of Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting in Cyprus. 

They range from small churches whose rural architectural style is in stark 

contrast to their highly refined decoration, to monasteries such as that of St 

John Lampadistis. 

Histortical Background 

The Troodos mountain region of Cyprus contains one of the largest groups 

of churches and monasteries of the former Byzantine Empire. The ten 

monuments included on the World Heritage List, all richly decorated with 

murals, provide an overview of Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting in 

Cyprus and bear testimony to the variety of artistic influences affecting 

Cyprus over a period of 500 years. The structures display elements that 

were specific to Cyprus and were determined by its geography, history and 

climate, including steep-pitched wooden roofs with flat hooked tiles, in some 

cases providing a second roof over Byzantine masonry domes and vaulted 

forms, while exhibiting Byzantine metropolitan art of the highest quality. The 

architecture of these churches is unique, confined to the Troodos range and 

almost certainly of indigenous origin. They range from small churches whose 

rural architectural style is in stark contrast to their highly refined decoration, 

to monasteries such as that of St John Lampadistis. They also contain a 

wealth of dated inscriptions, an uncommon feature in the Eastern 

Mediterranean during the Middle Ages, which makes them particularly 

important for recording the chronology of Byzantine painting. 

Cyprus, 

Troodos 

Region

Important examples of the 11th century iconography survive in the churches of St. 

Nicholas of the Roof and Panagia Phorbiotissa of Nikitari. Within Panagia tou Arakou 

in Lagoudera and St. Nicholas of the Roof are found important wall paintings from the 

Comnenian era, with the first being of exceptional artistic quality attributed to 

Constantinopolitan masters. The 13th century, the early period of Latin (western) rule 

in Cyprus, is well represented in the wall paintings of St. John Lampadistis in 

Kalopanagiotis and in Panagia in Moutoulla, which reflect the continuing Byzantine 

tradition and new external influences. The 14th century wall paintings at Panagia 

Phorbiotissa, Timios Stavros at Pelendri and St. John Lampadistis also display both 

local and Western influences, and to a certain degree, the revived art of Paleologan 

Constantinople. In the late 15th century iconography at Timios Stavros Agiasmati and 

Archangelos Michael, Pedoulas exhibits once again the harmonious combination of 

Byzantine art with local painting tradition, as well as some elements of Western 

influence, which are different, however, from the earlier series of St. John Lampadistis 

that was painted by a refugee from Constantinople. The Venetian rule, which began 

in 1489 was reflected in the development of the Italo-Byzantine school, and the most 

sophisticated examples can be found in Panagia Podhithou and the north chapel of 

St. John Lampadistis, both successful examples of Italian Renaissance art and 

Byzantine art fusion. Finally, the wall paintings of the Church of the Transfiguration of 

the Savior in Palaichori form part of the Cretan school of the 16th century. 

The ten churches included in the serial inscription are: 

➡ Ayios Nikolaos tis Stegis (St. Nicholas of the Roof) Kakopetria; 

➡ Ayios Ioannis (St. John) Lambadhistis Monastery, Kalopanayiotis; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) Phorviotissa (Asinou), Nikitari; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) tou Arakou, Lagoudhera; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin), Moutoullas; 

➡ Archangelos Michael (Archangel Michael), Pedhoulas; 

➡ Timios Stavros (Holy Cross), Pelendria; 

➡ Panayia (The Virgin) Podhithou, Galata; 

➡ Stavros (Holy Cross) Ayiasmati, Platanistasa, 

➡ the Church of Ayia Sotira (Transfiguration of the Savior), Palaichori. 

Of the ten churches nine are situated in the District of Nicosia and one, Timios 

Stavros (Holy Cross), Pelendria is in the District of Limassol. 


By Car 

Visitors who wish to bring their car to Cyprus can do so for a period up to three months 

provided the vehicle has a valid registration licence from its country of origin. This period 

may be extended, provided the motorist is considered to be a visitor by the Department 

of Customs and Excise. 

Visitors from any of the European Union Member States, Switzerland, Croatia, Iceland 

and Norway, who bring motor vehicles with a registration plate of one of these countries 

to Cyprus will not be required to show proof of insurance cover at their point of entry, as 

it is assumed they are covered in their own country. If this is not the case, the 

International Insurance Bureau of the motorist's country will be required to compensate 

any claims under the Guarantee Agreement in force (Unified Agreement or Internal 

Regulations). Foreign visitors who bring a motor vehicle with a registration plate not 

belonging to one of the above European countries will be required to show a valid Green 

Card to Cypriot authorities. Foreign visitors may take out a valid Green Card even if their 

country of origin is not a member of the Green Card system. Foreign visitors with a valid 

“frontier insurance” issued in one of the European Economic Area countries, can use this 

cover in Cyprus until its expiry date. Motorists may have a valid Green Card, even if their 

car has European registration plates. In such cases, the registration plate prevails over 

the Green Card agreement. This means police should allow the vehicle to enter Cyprus 

without checking the Green Card. 


Foreign motorists who do not have a registration plate belonging to one of the European 

Economic Area countries, or a valid Green Card covering Cyprus, are not allowed to 

drive their car here and must first secure insurance cover with a Cypriot insurer for the 

period of their stay. The granting of such insurance cover is at the absolute discretion of 

insurance companies who may decline. It is therefore advisable for non-European 

motorists to secure a Green Card before entering Cyprus . As Russia is not a member of 

the Green Card system, Russian motorists should take note of this requirement so as to 

avoid possible inconvenience. 

Rural service operates in village areas and can only be hired from and to their base 

station. These taxis are not equipped with taximeters and charging is based on 

kilometre/tariff rate. 

Urban service is a 24hours service provided in all cities. Taxis can be booked or hired on 

the street. Urban taxis are obligatory provided with taximetres and charging commences 

upon the entering of a passenger in the taxi. 

By Bus 

There are four types of buses in Cyprus that can help you move around: 

- Transurban buses that link all towns on a daily basis and with frequent routes 

- Rural buses that link almost all villages with the nearest city but with limited frequency 

once or twice daily except Sundays. 

Cruises 

A number of short cruises sail from Cyprus with trips lasting typically between two-to-five 

days on board large and comfortable ships. You can either book while on holiday in 

Cyprus or through tour operators abroad who feature the cruises in their holiday 

brochures.There are also many short boat trips from and to various destinations around 

the island sailing from almost all marinas and fishing shelters. 

- Urban buses that link different areas within the cities and operate frequently during 

daytime. In certain tourist areas, during summer period, their routes are extended till late 

in the evening. 

- Buses for airport transfers. 

By Taxi 

There are three types of taxi services available, covering the entire island: 

- Transurban service which offers the opportunity to share a taxi with 4 - 7 other 

passengers. It provides connection between all major cities of Cyprus, every half an hour, 

from Monday to Friday starting at 06:00 in the morning until 18:00 in the evening. On 

Saturdays and Sundays the service finishes an hour earlier at 17:00. Seats can be 

booked by phone or online from the providing companies.

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

ENIPNION - 66 

Palaias Kakopetrias Street 2800, 

Kakopetria - Ph.: +357 22 924 500 501 

www. enipnion.com.cy 

Mgr: Mr. Vasos Violaris 

LERENA, 2800, Kakopetria 

+357 22 923 161 

TO SPITI TOU XENI 

2827, Galata, Ph.: +357 22 922 391 

MARITSA LODGE 

2810, Kakopetria, Ph.: +357 22 754 727 

PANDOCHEIO LINOS, 34, Palias 

Kakopetrias Street 2800, Kakopetria, 

www.linos-inn.com.cy 

Ph.:+357 22 923 161 

ANTIGONE'S HOUSE; 2841, Spilia - 

Ph.: +357 99 176 839 

Apartments and hotels 

JUBILEE 2*, 4800, Troodos, 

www.jubileehotel.com, Ph.: +357 25 

420 107 

ARCHONTIKO ROUSIAS, 9, Ioanni 

Makrigianni Street, 2740, Palaichori, 

www.archontikorousias.com, +357 99 

947 143

The Sassi and 

the Park of the 

Rupestrian Churches 

This is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the 

Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first 

inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements illustrate a 

number of significant stages in human history. Matera is in the southern region 

of Basilicata. 

Description 

The Sassi of Matera and their park are an outstanding example of a rock-cut 

settlement, adapted perfectly to its geomorphological setting and its ecosystem 

and exhibiting continuity over more than two millennia. They represent an 

outstanding example of a traditional human settlement and land use showing 

the evolution of a culture that has maintained over time a harmonious 

relationship with its natural environment. The Matera region has been inhabited 

by man since the Palaeolithic period. Permanent defended village settlements 

grew up after the last Ice Age, based on agriculture. Deforestation of the area 

led to serious erosion and created problems of water management. The gradual 

invasion of fields by garrigue and maquis led to a change from agriculture to 

pastoral transhumance. Matera's development was due to its geological setting. 

A belt of soft tufo is located between 350 m and 400 m above the valley bed, 

and this also contains two natural depressions (grabialioni ); in consequence, it 

was here that the settlement grew up. The clay plateau above was reserved for 

agriculture and pastoralism. The advent of better tools with the Metal Ages 

made it easier to dig into the soft calcareous tufo rocks exposed in the gravine 

(gorges or canyons) and there is evidence from the 

Matera, 

Italy

Bronze Age of the creation of underground cisterns and tombs, and in particular of 

underground dwellings opening out of a central space (jazzi ). The excavated tufo 

blocks were used for the construction of walls and towers. This process was easiest 

on the sides of ravines, where the softer strata of tufo were exposed. Greek 

colonization led to the introduction of higher technology and political structures, 

under the influence of the Pythagorean School. The earlier dispersed settlements 

coalesced into urban centres of government, under their own kings (i Re Pastori), 

leading eventually to the creation of true towns. The harsh landscape resulted in the 

growth of a spirit of sturdy independence which was resistant to successive waves of 

invaders after the Byzantine period. The area was also very attractive to monastic 

and utopian communities. This structure remained intact until the 18th century. It was 

the expansion and interventions of the 19th and 20th centuries that rejected the 

ancient principle of land management based on water supply and drainage and 

spread to the clays of the plateau above. 

The earliest house form was a simple cave in the tufo with a closing wall formed from 

the excavated blocks. This developed into a vaulted room (lamione ) built out into the 

open space, and was then available for considerable adaptation and extension. 

Groups of dwellings round a common courtyard evolved into the social structure of 

the vicinato, with shared facilities such as a cistern. In between the two sassi was 

established the fortified centre of the town (cività ), within which the cathedral was 

sited. Workshops and granaries were set up outside the cività, which was connected 

with the sassi by narrow lanes and steps. The water supply was highly organized, 

being collected on the plateau above and brought down by gravity for distribution to 

the community. As the town grew, more houses were excavated and built, climbing 

the hillside; the roofs of some houses often acted as streets for the houses above 

them. The houses became more grandiose, and terraces were built out in the 

Renaissance period for gardens. 


The Matera region has been inhabited by man since the Palaeolithic period. 

Permanent defended village settlements grew up after the last Ice Age, based on 

agriculture. Deforestation of the area led to serious erosion and created problems of 

water management. The gradual invasion of fields by garricue and maauis led to a 

change from agriculture to pastoral transhumance. The advent of better tools with the 

Metal Ages made it easier to dig into the soft calcareous tufo rocks exposed in the 

gravine (gorges or canyons) and there is evidence from the Bronze Age of the 

creation of underground cisterns and tombs, and in particular of underground 

dwellings opening out of a central space (iazzi). The excavated tufo blocks were 

used for the construction of walls and towers. This process was easiest on the sides 

of ravines, where the softer strata of tufo were exposed. Greek colonization led to the 

introduction of higher technology and political structures, under the influence of the 

Pythagorean school. The earlier dispersed settlements coalesced into urban centres 

of government, under their own kings (i Re Pastori), leading eventually to the creation 

of true towns. The harsh landscape resulted in the growth of a spirit of sturdy 

independence which was resistant to successive waves of invaders after the 

Byzantine period. The area was also very attractive to monastic and utopian 

communities. Matera's development was due to its geological setting. A belt of soft 

tufo is located between 350 and 400 m above the valley bed, and this also contains 

two natural depressions (arabialioni); in consequence, it was here that the settlement 

grew up. The clay plateau above was reserved for agriculture and pastoralism. This 

structure remained intact until the 18th century. It was the expansion and 

interventions of the 19th and 20th centuries that rejected the ancient principle of land 

management based on water supply and drainage and spread to the clays of the 

plateau above. The original urban fabric degenerated to the point where Matera, 

Idrisi as hailed by the 12th century geographer El "magnificent and splendid", was 

seen by Carlo Levi in his famous novel Cristo si B fermato ad Eboli (Christ stopped at 

Eboli), published in 1945, life in southern Italy. as the symbol of the misery of peasant 

As a result of the Italian Government's concern about this situation, legislation 

passed in 1952 led to the rehousing of the dwellers of the old quarters in new 

buildings and the desertion of the ancient centre in the 1950s. 



Matera is located in the Basilicata region and it can be reached by using the following 

transportation: 

By plane 

The nearest airport is the Bari Palese airport , just 50 Km away . 

Bari Palese airport is well connected with the major Italian cities such as Milan, Rome, 

Verona, Turin, Venice, Trapani, Bergamo, Bologna and also to international destinations 

such as London (Stansted and Gatwick), Paris, Barcelona , Brussels , Cologne, 

Bucharest, Tirana , Stuttgart, Monaco, Timisoara. A shuttle service from and to the 

airport is available. 

By train 

Matera is connected to Bari from Lucania Appulo FAL Railways 

By bus 

You can reach Matera by bus using the following companies: 

- Marino Bus. 

- Marozzi Bus . 

- Bus Smooth . 

By car 

From the Tyrrhenian coast: Take the Salerno - Reggio Calabria highway. Follow the signs 

to Potenza. Then continue along the SS 407 for Metaponto " Basentana " until you see 

signs near Matera Ferrandina . 

From the Adriatic coast: Take the highway Bologna-Taranto, take the gate Bari Nord. 

Continue to the industrial area, Altamura - Matera , along the SS 96 and SS 99. 

From Calabria and Sicily: Take the Salerno - Reggio Calabria highway. Take the Sibari 

Gate and take the SS 106 Taranto. Exit at Matera, near Metaponto. 

From Salento: The easiest way to reach Matera is to surmont Taranto, and take the SS 

106 until exit near Metaponto Matera . 


National Archaelogical Museum "Domenico Ridola", Via Ridola, 24 - Tel. e Fax +39 

0835 310058The National Museum "Ridola", established February 9, 1911, was 

realized thanks to the donation of the collection of archaeological finds, collected by 

Senator Ridola, during his research. The first nucleus of the museum was installed in 

the seventeenth-century convent of the Poor Clares and contained materials from the 

Paleolithic to the Bronze Age, displyed in the windows of wood. In the mid-'50s new 

rooms were added to the Museum and, in 1976, with the opening of a new 

environment dedicated to the findings of the various areas of Matera, there was a 

further expansion of the museum itself. With the expansion of his collection, the 

museum has a new structural change in 1985 with the building of new offices, 

workshops and warehouses. Currently they are stored inside the building of the 

prehistoric artifacts collected by Ridola along with recent and important discoveries 

of Trasano, including a rare oven datable to the Neolithic. 

National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Basilicata, Piazza Pascoli, 1 

(at the Palazzo Lanfranchi) 

Opened on May 6, 2003 at the Palazzo Lanfranchi in Matera, the National Museum of 

Medieval and Modern Art in the Basilicata region is divided into three sections. The 

first collects paintings, stone sculptures, wood carvings, silver and paintings from all 

over the region. There are more than 100 works of art displayed in this section, from 

the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century.

The second section is devoted to the D'Errico Collection: 70 paintings are displayed, 

available thanks to the donation by the homonymous non-profit organization, located 

in Palazzo S. Gervasio. In the third and final section is foreseen the exhibition of 44 

works by Carlo Levi. The building hosting the museum is also provided by two 

churches: the Santa Maria De Armenis soon open to the public, while the Madonna 

del Carmine one, to be used as an auditorium, is currently being restored. 

MUSMA - Museum of Contemporary Sculpture in Matera, Palace Pomarici , Ward 

Sassi 

The Museum of Contemporary Sculpture - Matera , original ' cave museum ' run by 

the cooperative Synchronos since 2011, is located in the suggestive setting of the 

seventeenth century Palazzo Pomarici. It is considered a unique museum for the 

perfect symbiosis between the sculptures and some of the most characteristic places 

carved in the heart of the Sassi: the museum spaces, in fact, cover not only the builtup 

areas of the building, but also the vast tombs carved, where the works displayed 

are regenerated by the power of suggestion oft the surrounding rocky environments. 

Useful links 







Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Alla Dolce Vita 

Rione Malve, 51 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 310324 

Fax +39 0835 310324 

Alle Malve B&B 

Via Bruno Buozzi, 102 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 312816 

Fax +39 0835 312816 

B&B Agorà 

Via Sant'Angelo, 29 Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 329 3414131 +39 0835 307084 

B&B Angolo Felice 

Via Ungheria, 8 - Borgo Venusio Vecchio 

Matera (MT); Ph.: +39 0835 259152 

Fax +39 0835 259152 

Bed&Breakfast 

B&B Centrale 

Vico IV Novembre, 7 75100 

Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 340 1523988 

B&B Giolitti 

Via D. Nelli, 26 75100 - Matera (MT); 

Mobile: +39 328 3295447 

B&B I Sassi Viale Paladino, 6 


Mobile: +39 328 4623037 

Fax +39 0835 333321 

B&B L'Albero di Eliana 

Via Gradoni Municipio, 14 - Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 320 3929330 

B&B Al Borgo, Via Tagliamento, 2 

Borgo La Martella 75100 - Matera (MT) 

B&B Al Convento 

Via Purgatorio Vecchio 3 - Ponte S.Pietro 

Caveoso n. 25/30 Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 314099 Fax 0835 314099 

B&B All'Annunziata Vecchia 


Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 330 364753

Agli Archi - Dimore Storiche 

Rione Pianelle, 3-4-5-6 

Gradelle S. Pietro Caveoso - Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 334 6111735 

Rooms Rental 

Ai Terrazzini 

Via D'Addozio, 141 - Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 329 5344368 

Casastella 

Via Casalnuovo, 257 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 310272 

Casa di Ele 

Via San Biagio, 26 

Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 389 0117392 

Corte San Pietro 

Via B. Buozzi, 97/B - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 310813 

Fax +39 0835 312582 

Torretta ai Sassi 

Vico I Casalnuovo, 31 Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 310732

Ai Foggiali, Via S. Biagio, 46 Matera (MT) 

Mobile: +39 388 4881610 

Casa Contini, Via B. Buozzi, 81/83 

Matera (MT); Ph.: +39 0835 388399 

Fax +39 0835 388399 

Home Holidays 

Casa del Sole 

Via S. Pietro Caveoso, 5/6 Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 337421 

Casa Natalì, Via Pentasuglia, 21-23 

Matera (MT); Mobile: +39 328 3287858 

Agriturismo Colle Igino 

C.da Igino, S.n.c. 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 307137 

Agritourism Country Houses 

Az. Agr. Le Matinelle 

C.da Matinelle 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 307343 

Fax +39 0835 307343 

Az. Agr. Masseria del Parco 

S.P. Matera-Grassano km. 5,420 

Loc. Ponte Timmari 75100 - Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 302801 

Fax +39 0835 302801 

Az. Agr. Torre Spagnola 

C.da Torre Spagnola - Matera (MT) 

Ph. +39 . 0835 339214 

Fax +39 0835 339214 

Masseria del Pantaleone 

C.da Chiancalata, 27 Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 335239 

Fax +39 0835 240021 

Tempa Bianca 

C.da Rifeccia Matera (MT) 

Ph.: +39 0835 302964 

Fax 0835 302964

Prehistoric Rock 

Art Sites in the 

Côa Valley and 

Siega Verdes 

The two Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley (Portugal) and Siega Verde (Spain) are 

located on the banks of the rivers Agueda and Côa, tributaries of the river Douro, documenting 

continuous human occupation from the end of the Paleolithic Age. Hundreds of panels with 

thousands of animal figures (5,000 in Foz Côa and around 440 in Siega Verde) were carved over 

several millennia, representing the most remarkable open-air ensemble of Paleolithic art on the Iberian 

Peninsula. 

Côa Valley and Siega Verde provide the best illustration of the iconographic themes and organization of 

Paleolithic rock art, using the same modes of expression in caves and in the open air, thus contributing to a 

greater understanding of this artistic phenomenon. Together they form a unique site of the prehistoric era, rich in 

material evidence of Upper Paleolithic occupation. 

The Upper Palaeolithic rock art of the Côa valley is an outstanding example of the sudden flowering 

of creative genius at the dawn of human cultural throws light on the social, economic, and spiritual 

life on the life of the early ancestor of humankind in a wholly exceptional manner. 

The earliest evidence for recurrent human occupation by a small group, possibly on a seasonal 

basis, in the Alto Douro region is from the Lower Palaeolithic period. There is a concentration of 

rock-art and settlement sites along the main rivers, the Douro and its tributaries, the Côa and the 

Aguiar. In the Côa valley the known settlements are located in the short section between Quinta da 

Barca and Salto do Boi, but this does not reflect the situation in early prehistory, owing to the 

differences in lithology between this area and that further downstream. More intensive cultivation in 

recent years has also destroyed many settlement sites without record. 

Portugal, 

Coa Valley

The settlements are characterized by pavements of river pebbles and large schist slabs, on which were found thick deposits of the waste from making and trimming stone tools; the acid 

soil conditions militate against the survival of organic materials such as wood or bone. The activities carried out on these sites were the processing of animal carcasses and the working of 

hide, bone, wood, and stone. The sources of the stones used indicate that these groups would have moved over a large territory more than 200 km in extent. This form of huntergatherer 

economy ended in the Magdalenian phase of the Upper Palaeolithic period. The region appears to have been devoid of human occupation until the 6th millennium BC, when 

incoming groups brought a sedentary Neolithic farming culture to the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. From then on there was continuous occupation through to the present day. 

Rock art began with the Upper Palaeolithic in the Iberian Peninsula, but the Côa material is not all Upper Palaeolithic; certain groups or panels are of later date, from the Neolithic to the 

early modern period, while many are palimpsests. The rock art of the Côa valley occurs in three clearly defined clusters, separated by empty stretches. Furthest south is the small group 

of granite rock-shelter sites at Faia. Some 8 km further downstream is the cluster on either side of the river at Quinta da Barca and Penascosa, where the rock is schist. Finally, there is a 

cluster consisting of a series of occurrences starting at Ribeira de Piscos and continuing down the Côa to its confluence with the Douro. It is postulated, however, that the gap between 

Faia and Quinta da Barca/Penascosa may be artificial, the Palaeolithic rock art on the soft stone in this stretch not having been capable of resisting natural weathering. In all 214 

decorated panels have been found in 22 separate groups. The species represented are aurochs, horses, red deer, ibex and fish (with one apparent human caricature at Ribeira de 

Piscos). The proportions of each species represented vary from panel to panel and site to site. There is no example of any unequivocally domestic animals such as sheep or chickens, 

which were absent from the Pleistocene fauna of the Iberian Peninsula. The conventions used are also identical - size, invariable lateral views, twisted rendering of horns, distended 

bellies, absence of ground lines, etc. One convention unique to this group is the frequent use of single bodies with two or three heads, in an attempt to convey a sensation of movement. 

This is usually associated with horse figures. The Palaeolithic artists used several different engraving techniques: fine-line incision using a hard resistant tool, pecking, with direct or indirect 

percussion, abrasion of the surface, and scraping, a technique for producing colour differentiation by the selective removal of surface layers. In cases where only outlines of figures can be 

discerned, it is suggested that these may originally have been painted with mineral and vegetable pigments. The number of engravings outlined by pecking and incision is almost 

identical. The Côa engravings represent a fully outdoor art (with the exception of those in the Faia rock shelters). This is usually the case in later prehistory, but it is almost unknown in the 

Palaeolithic. The engraved panels are always on vertical rock faces, but the possibility of their having disappeared from horizontal or inclined surfaces cannot be ruled out. Following the 

Palaeolithic tradition, surface variations of the rock itself is used effectively in order to impart relief to the figures. 


By plane: the International Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro is about 225 km (A4, IC5 and IP2) from the Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley, by car. 

By train: the railway station, located at Pocinho (municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa), makes a direct connection to the city center of Oporto, and is about 29 km from the Prehistoric 

Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley, by car. 

By bus: There are several bus of different companies that connects (directly or not) Vila Nova de Foz Côa with Porto and Lisboa (and other citys of Portugal). 

By car: From the current network of motorways Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley arrives at the Porto in about 2 hours and 49 minutes (through A4, IC5 and IP2), Braga 2 houra 

and 44 minutes (A7, IC5 and IP2), Salamanca (Spain) in 2 hours and 25 minutes (A -62 Autovia de Castilla) and Lisbon 3 hours and 47 minutes (IP2, A23 and A1).There are companies 

offering rent a car in Vila Nova de Foz Côa. 



In addition to the rock art sites open to the public there are other archaeological sites worth visiting: 

Within the area of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park: Castelo Melhor (Vila Nova de Foz Côa): ruins of a medieval castle (www.cm-fozcoa.pt); Chãs/Muxagata (Vila Nova de Foz 

Côa); Quinta de Ervamoira Site Museum, which includes an exhibition on the roman and medieval archaeological site that was excavated in the estate (www.ramospinto.pt). 

Within the municipalities of the Archaeological Park but outside its limits: Freixo de Numão (Vila Nova de Foz Côa): Castelo Velho and Castanheiro do Vento ruins dating from 

the Copper Age/Bronze Age, and the Prazo, Rumansil and Museu da Casa Grande Roman sites which integrate the Freixo de Numão archaeological itineraries (www.acdrfreixo.pt/ 

and www.igespar.pt). 

Numão (Vila Nova de Foz Côa): well preserved ruins of the fortified village of Numão, an important medieval settlement (www.cm-fozcoa.pt); 

Marialva (Mêda): important roman settlement and medieval fortified village, ancient head of the municipality during the Middle Ages and the Modern Period. It is integrated in 

Portugal’s Historical Villages Route (www.visitportugal.com); 

Coriscada (Mêda): ruins of a Roman villa featuring vestiges of mosaics, located at Vale do Mouro (www.cm-meda.pt/); 

Longroiva (Mêda): ruins of a Knights Templar castle located in a village founded in Roman times due to its therapeutic thermal waters, still used today (www.cm-meda.pt/); 

Almofala (Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo): ruins of an imposing Roman temple (www.visitportugal.com); 

Castelo Rodrigo (Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo): ancient medieval village integrated in Portugal’s Historical Villages Route (www.visitportugal.com); 

Pinhel: ancient castle located in the town’s historic center (www.cm-pinhel.pt); 

Museu do Côa – Fundação Côa Parque 

Centro Cultural de vila Nova de Foz Côa; Auditório Municipal 

Festival Internacional de Cinema de Vila Nova de Foz Côa; Côa Criativo; 

Useful Links 

http://www.cm-fozcoa.pt/ Official Website of Vila Nova de Foz Côa Municipality — http://www.arte-coa.pt/ Official Website of the Côa Park Foundation 

http://www.siegaverde.es/ Official Website of the Archaeological site of Siega Verde 

http://www.coasiegaverde.com/lang=pt Official Website of the Archaeological Park of the Côa Valley (Portugal) and the Archaeological site of Siega Verde (Spain) 

http://fozcoafriends.blogspot.pt/ Blog of the Foz do Côa Friends Association — http://www.dourovalley.eu/ Official Website of Douro Valley Project 

http://www.douro-turismo.pt/ Official Website of the Douro Tourism Department — http://www.culturanorte.pt/ Official Website of the Directorate of Culture for the Northern Region

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Hospedaria Messias 

Touça, Quinta da Pedra Escrita 

Vila N. F. Côa 

Douro Fluvina Yachts & Chalets 

São João da Pesqueira 

Bairro do Casal 

Turismo d'Aldeia, Murça do Douro 

Vila Nova de Foz Côa 

Rural Accomodation 

+ 

Quinta do Chao D'Ordem 

Vila Nova de Foz Côa 

Local Accomodation 

Aveleiras 

Torre de Moncorvo 

Casa Da Avo 


Quinta da Terrincha 


Casa de Santa Cruz 

Rua Cimo do Lugar, 1 

Felgar, Torre de Moncorvo 

Casas Do Coro 

Marialva 

Casa do Pedrão 

Coriscada, Marialva

Plantin-Moretus 

House-Workshops- 

Museum Complex 

The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a printing plant and publishing house dating from the 

Renaissance and Baroque periods. Situated in Antwerp, one of the three leading cities of 

early European printing along with Paris and Venice, it is associated with the history of the 

invention and spread of typography. Its name refers to the greatest printer-publisher of the second 

half of the 16th century: Christophe Plantin (c. 1520–89). The monument is of outstanding 

architectural value. It contains exhaustive evidence of the life and work of what was the most prolific 

printing and publishing house in Europe in the late 16th century. The building of the company, which 

remained in activity until 1867, contains a large collection of old printing equipment, an extensive library, 

invaluable archives and works of art, among them a painting by Rubens. 

Through the publications of the Officina Plantiniana, the Plantin-Moretus complex bears witness to the major role 

played by this important centre of 16th-century European humanism in the development of science and culture. 

The Plantinian Archives, including the business archives of the Officina, the books of commercial accounts and the 

correspondence with a number of world-renowned scholars and humanists, provide an outstanding 

testimony to a cultural tradition of the first importance. 

As an outstanding example of the relationship between the living environment of a family during the 16th, 

17th and 18th centuries, the world of work and the world of commerce, the Plantin-Moretus Complex is of 

unrivalled documentary value relating to significant periods of European history - the Renaissance, the 

Baroque era and Classicism. The Plantin-Moretus complex is tangibly associated with ideas, beliefs, 

technologies and literary and artistic works of outstanding universal significance. 

Belgium, 

Antwerp

The old town of Antwerp (Antwerpen in Flemish) developed on the right bank of the Schelde River, at the foot of a fortress with a tollgate for the control of river transport, dating back to 

the 9th century. After being substantially extended during the 13th and 14th centuries, Antwerp asserted its position, at the expense of Bruges (Brugge), as: 

• a centre of monetary transactions; 

• an international marketplace (including an art market); 

• a meeting place for humanists and artists; 

• a hub of European cultural exchanges, importing in particular the key elements of the Italian Renaissance which were to inspire the Flemish Renaissance. 

The booming vitality of Antwerp from 1500 onwards was conducive to the development of printing. By the mid-16th century, some 140 printers, publishers and booksellers were working 

in the town, where the book market took on an increasingly international dimension. Antwerp thus became the centre of the book businesses for all regions north of the Alps, and (with 

Venice and Paris) one of the three capitals of European typography, thanks primarily to the activity of Christopher Plantin between 1555 and 1589. 

It was in the setting of the metropolis of Antwerp, which in the mid-16th century had a population of over 100,000 that Plantin set up his printing and publishing firm, the Officina 

Plantiniana with a complex of workshops adjoining a patrician residence. The Officina at that time was quite easily the largest typographical company in Europe. On the death of Plantin in 

1589, his son-in-law Jan Moretus I (1543-1610) took over at the head of the best equipped company in Europe, and it was thanks to the Moretus family that the continuity of the 

production activities of the firm was maintained until 1867. This continuity refers to the same functions carried out in the same place. This explains the homogeneity of the plan of the 

building, which is reflected in the present-day museum. In all, the historic building in its current state comprises 35 rooms (including the drawing room dedicated to the memory of the 

jurist René Vandevoir (1892-1966), a benefactor of the museum, and of the French-speaking Flemish writer, Emile Verhaeren (1855-1916). 


The museum is walking distance from the Groenplaats. There you can take busses 22, 25 and 26 or trams 3, 9 and 15. 


During Contemporary Fashion Days, in April and October, bargain fever takes over the city as designers slash prices on garments from the previous season. Let the event’s app 

guide you to the studios of such Belgian design pioneers as Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester, two of the Antwerp Six, who helped put the city on the world style map. 

April and October; various locations in Antwerp 

LAUNDRY DAY. With 65.000 visitors, 11 stages and more than 120 DJs, Laundry Day claims its spot between Belgium's biggest festivals. Laundry Day traditionally takes place on 

the first Saturday of September and celebrates its seventeenth birthday in 2014. The line up combines national and international artists from the world of electronic dance music. 6 

September 2014; festival site Nieuw Zuidkaai, 2020 Antwerp 


SUMMERFESTIVAL. Summerfestival is... The best way to start your summer! The yearly event takes place every last weekend of June in Antwerp, BE. The line up consists of the 

biggest national and international names in electronic music. Visitors can stay overnight at a beautiful camping, where all necessary facilities are provided. Summerfestival is... 

The best way to start your summer! 27 June 2014 – 29 June 2014 

JAZZ MIDDELHEIM. The Jazz Middelheim festival is a fixture on the national and international jazz scene. In August Antwerp’s beautiful Den Brandt Park becomes the meeting 

place for a wide audience that appreciates good jazz. The place to be if you enjoy music in a pleasant atmosphere. The splendid location is thrown in as a little extra. 14 August 

2014- 17 August 2014 

THIS IS ANTWERP. Free app for iPhone and Android with the best restaurants, local hangouts, shops and events. USE-IT ANTWERP Get the map at http://www.use-it.be/antwerp 

Useful Links 

• http://www.museumplantinmoretus.be/Museum_PlantinMoretus_EN — Official website of the Plantin-Moretus Museum 

• http://www.visitantwerpen.be/Bezoekerssite-EN/Visitors/to-do/to-do-highlights/to-do-highlights-must-sees/to-do-highlights-must-sees-Museum-Plantin-MoretusPrints- 

Room-.html — 

• Local tourism agency Antwerp 

• http://www.antwerpen.be/ — Official website of the city of Antwerp

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Alias Youthhostel Antwerp 

Provinciestraat 256, 2018 Antwerpen 

www.aliasyouthhostel.com 

info@aliasyouthhostel.com 

+32 3 230 05 22 

Pulcinella 

Bogaardeplein 1, 2000 Antwerpen 

www.jeugdherbergen.be/antwerpen 

antwerpen@vjh.be 

+32 3 234 0314 

B&B Because The Night 

Verschansingstraat 55, 2000 Antwerpen 

www.bbantwerp.be 

ANTWERP, Hostels and B&B 

B&B Bed, bad en brood 

Justitiestraat 43, 2018 Antwerpen 

www.bbantwerp.com 

mail@bbantwerp.com 

+32 3 248 15 39 

B&B Borze 

Borzestraat 1, 2000 Antwerpen 

www.RoomInAntwerp.be 

info@RoomInAntwerp.be 

+32 3 232 12 56 

B&B Urban Dreams 

Veemarkt 26, 2000 Antwerpen 

www.urbandreams.be 

info@antigonehotel.be 

+32 3 231 66 77 

B&B Marnix 

Welvaartstraat 16, 2000 Antwerpen 

www.bbmarnix.be info@bbmarnix.be 

+32 3 238 79 91

Major Town 

Houses of the 

architect Victor 

Horta and 

Stoclet House 

The four major town houses - Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, Hôtel van Eetvelde, and Maison & 

Atelier Horta - located in Brussels and designed by the architect Victor Horta, one of the 

earliest initiators of Art Nouveau, are some of the most remarkable pioneering works of 

architecture of the end of the 19th century. The stylistic revolution represented by these works is 

characterised by their open plan, the diffusion of light, and the brilliant joining of the curved lines of 

decoration with the structure of the building. 

When banker and art collector Adolphe Stoclet commissioned this house from one of the leading 

architects of the Vienna Secession movement, Josef Hoffmann, in 1905, he imposed neither aesthetic nor 

financial restrictions on the project. The house and garden were completed in 1911 and their austere 

geometry marked a turning point in Art Nouveau, foreshadowing Art Deco and the 

Modern Movement in architecture. Stoclet House is one of the most accomplished 

and homogenous buildings of the Vienna Secession, and features works by 

Koloman Moser and Gustav Klimt, embodying the aspiration of creating a ‘total 

work of art' (Gesamtkunstwerk). Bearing testimony to artistic renewal in European 

architecture, the house retains a high level of integrity, both externally and internally 

as it retains most of its original fixtures and furnishings. 

Belgium, 

Brussels

The appearance of Art Nouveau in the closing years of the 19th century marked a decisive stage in the evolution of architecture, making possible subsequent developments, and the four 

town houses of Victor Horta in Brussels (Hôtel Tassel, Hôtel Solvay, Hôtel van Eetvelde, Maison et Atelier Horta) bear exceptional witness to its radical new approach. They brilliantly 

illustrate the transition from the 19th to the 20th centuries in art, thought and society. The stylistic revolution represented by these works is characterized by their open plan, the diffusion 

of light, and the brilliant joining of the curved lines of decoration with the structure of the building. The Hôtel Tassel can be considered the founding work of Art Nouveau. Commissioned 

by Professor Emile Tassel in 1893, it was the first work in which Horta was able to realize his original conception of architecture. The house was finished in 1894, but Horta continued 

designing the furniture for some years. After the Second World War, the house was split into small flats so that little of the decoration remained visible. In 1976 the street facade and the 

main doors were restored and the building was adapted as prestige offices. The street facade, built from stone, is remarkably integrated into its context. Above the entrance there is a 

two-storey bow window in an innovative steel structure. On the street site the building has the entrance floor, a mezzanine, first and second floor, and an attic. These levels are shifted 

towards the garden side by way of a central staircase. 

Commissioned by Armand Solvay, the Hôtel Solvay was built from 1895 to 1898, with furniture completed in 1903. In 1957 the building became the seat of a fashion house; in 1980 the 

owners started the restoration of the building, including the restitution of the glass roofs of the main staircase, cooling of the interior decoration, and restoring the facade. It is the best 

preserved of all Horta's house and still maintains its interior intact, including original art objects and the utilities in functional order. 

The Stoclet House is an outstanding testimony to the creative genius of the Wiener Werkstätte. It was designed and built in Brussels from 1905 to 1911 by one of the founders of the 

movement, the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann, of whose work it is the masterpiece. The Vienna Secession movement bears witness to a profound conceptual and stylistic renewal of 

Art Nouveau. Ever since its creation the Stoclet House has been and remains one of the most consummate and emblematic realisations of this artistic movement, characterising the 

aesthetic research and renewal of architecture and decoration in the west at the start of the 20th century. The Stoclet House decoration was the work of a very large number of artists 

from the Wiener Werkstätte, including Koloman Moser, Gustav Klimt, Frantz Metzner, Richard Luksch, and Michael Powolny. They worked under the guidance of Hoffmann to achieve a 

Gesamtkunstwerk (‘total work of art’), which is expressed simultaneously in every dimension – interior and exterior architecture, decoration, furniture, functional objects, and the gardens 

and their flower beds. From its creation the House inspired many architects in Belgium and other countries. It heralded Art Deco and the Modern Movement in architecture. It bears 

witness to the influence of the Vienna Secession, and the dissemination of its ideas in Europe at the start of the 20th century. It bears witness to a monument of outstanding aesthetic 

quality and richness, intended as an ideal expression of the arts. A veritable icon of the birth of modernism and its quest for values, its state of preservation and conservation are 

remarkable. 


(general information on how to get to Brussels – see Grand Place). 

Maison & Atelier Horta (The Horta Museum) can be reached by trams 81, 91, 92 and 97 (place Janson). Hotel Tassel and Hotel Solvay are within walking distance. Maison Van Eetvelde is 

at walking distance from the metro stops Maalbeek and Schuman (lines 1 and 5). 



BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND In the days when Brussels did its own thing, every village around the city had its own brewery and, although there aren’t as many of them today, the 

masters of the brewer’s oar still form a respected brotherhood. And to celebrate this brewing tradition with the pomp and ceremony worthy of the occasion, the lagers, the white 

beers, the amber ones, the fruity ones and the strong beers, all these daughters of the hop parade on the Grand-Place for a weekend of (preferably sensible) enjoyment. – From 

Friday, September 5, 2014 to Sunday, September 7, 2014; Grand-Place, Brussels 

BRUSSELS DESIGN MARKET Founded in 2002, the Brussels Design Market is a flea market exclusively dedicated to design and, in particular, to output ranging from the fifties 

to the early eighties. A hundred or so exhibitors, from the trade and amateurs and from all over Europe display furniture and objects in a relaxed spirit of a big second-hand 

market. Two weekends in April and September; Tour&Taxis, Havenlaan 86C, Brussels 

BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL The organisers of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival definitely have an eye for tracking down 

cinematographic nuggets of horror, science fiction and thrillers of all kinds. Far removed from Internet piracy and illicit copies, the BIFFF is an oasis of good films which get your 

adrenalin pumping. The program includes: a body- painting and fantasy make-up competition, a manga market, a zombie parade and a vampires’ball. We’re not scared at all... 

honest! Two weeks in April; Ravensteinstraat 23 1000 Brussel 

BRUSSELS SUMMER FESTIVAL When Manneken-Pis picks up his guitar, everyone starts rocking’n’rolling in Brussels during the BSF! This one-of-a- kind festival takes over the 

city, which has a great time in all kinds of ways and at great prices. A giant stage beneath the windows of the Royal Palace and another at Mont des Arts as well as more than 30 

indoor concerts and after-parties. From Friday, August 8, 2014 to Sunday, August 17, 2014; different locations 

COMIC STRIP FESTIVAL As centre of the 9th art, Brussels decided to celebrate it and, so, every year, lays on a wonderful feast and has a great time with its favourite heroes. 

Markets, tours, a parade: on the walls or in 3D in the sky when they’re infl ated with helium, the characters descend on the city. And to end on a high note: a gigantic sound and 

light show which turns Place Royale into a comic strip panel for one fantastic evening. Highly recommended to children from 7 to 77. From Friday, September 5, 2014 to Sunday, 

September 7, 2014; various locations 

COULEUR CAFÉ A colourfully mixed, altruistic, tropical and spicy festival! A cocktail of music from here and elsewhere with more than 50 concerts in 3 marquees. Couleur Café 

is, above all, a gigantic fiesta with all the brass bands, dance competitions, creative workshops, themed exhibitions, souks, restaurants and exotic cocktails you could wish for. A 

multicultural and off -the-wall ambience, just like Brussels itself. We’ll “zouk” until the morning. Every last weekend of June; Tour&Taxis, Havenlaan 86C, Brussels 

DESIGN SEPTEMBER This platform for Belgian and foreign designers to meet up generates a hundred or so events around the world of design. Accessories, furniture, cars, 

graphic design and architecture, this industrial art concerns nearly every field and is of interest to a wide public. Plenty to please with visits to workshops, city walks and flea 

markets. Every September; various locations 

BRUSSELS BEACH Brussels Beach (Bruxelles les Bains) opens its urban beach from 4 July to 10 August 2014, from Tuesday till Sunday, at the Quai des Péniches near the Place 

Sainctelette. There will be lots of events and activities for young and old. The programme will be announced shortly. 

LES NUITS BOTANIQUE A unique location, au coeur de Bruxelles, with a line-up to die for! A festival that makes discovering and reinforcing musical careers its top priority. Want 

a proof Take a look at the eclectic line-up, open to all the new trends with quality! Every year there is one ‘Nuit Belge’ focusing on the hottest Belgian bands in town. Last two 

weeks of May; Botanique and other venues, Brussels

NATIONAL STORE Your Pop-Up Vitrine On Belgian Talent: Fashion, Design, Cinema, Music, Publishing, Visual Arts, Dance & Gastronomy. 25% Internationally renowned Belgian 

talents presenting their selection of 75% up-and-coming & inspiring Belgian talents. Every year, the Nationa(a)l Store wants to offer a selection of the highest quality and most 

inspiring creations from the country. Two weeks in May (9-25 May 2014); changing venues, the 2014 edition will take place in the former Solvay library, 44, Prince Albert Street, 

Ixelles (Brussels) 

USE-IT Get the free map : http://www.use-it.be/brussels/ 

Useful Links 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204616504577172941334034970 — On the complexity of the Stoclet estate 

http://www.klimt.com/en/gallery/stoclet-frieze/klimt-stocletfries-real.ihtml — rare pictures of the interior of the Stoclet House 

http://www.hortamuseum.be/en/Welcome — Museum installed in the Horta house and atelier 

http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/BE_en/content/2791/victor-horta-and-brussels.do — Website of the Brussels tourist organization with focus on Victor Horta’s legacy 

http://www.visitbelgium.com/index.php/cultural-belgium/art-nouveau-brussels — Website with highlights of the Art Nouveau

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Sleep well youth hostel 

Rue du Damier, 23 

Bruxelles / Brussel 

+ 32 2 218 50 50 

info@sleepwell.be 

www.sleepwell.be 

Gite Auberge Jacques Brel 

Rue de la Sablonnière 30 Bruxelles 

+ 32 2 218 01 87 

brussels.brel@laj.be 

www.gitesdetape.be 

Auberge generation Europe 

Rue de l'Eléphant 4 - Bruxelles 

+ 32 2 410 38 58 brussels.europe@laj.be 

www.lesaubergesdejeunesse.be 

Brussels, Hostels 

Vincent Van Gogh (CHAB) 

Rue Traversière 8, 1210 - Bruxelles 

+ 32 2 217 01 58 info@chab.be 

www.chab.be 

Auberge des 3 fontaines 

Chausée de Wavre 2057 

1160 - Bruxelles 

+ 32 (0)2 663 24 32 

contact@auberge3fontaines.be 

www.auberge3fontaines.be 

Jeugdherberg Bruegel 

Rue Saint-Esprit 2 - Bruxelles 

+32 2 511 04 36 

brussel@vjh.be 

www.jeugdherbergen.be

Rietveld 

Schröder House 

The Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht was commissioned by Ms Truus 

Schröder-Schräder, designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and built in 

1924. This small family house, with its interior, the flexible spatial arrangement, and 

the visual and formal qualities, was a manifesto of the ideals of the De Stijl group of 

artists and architects in the Netherlands in the 1920s, and has since been considered 

one of the icons of the Modern Movement in architecture. 

The Rietveld Schröderhuis in Utrecht was commissioned by Ms Truus Schröder-Schräder, 

designed by the architect Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, and built in 1924. This small one-family 

house, with its flexible interior spatial arrangement, and visual and formal qualities, was a 

manifesto of the ideals of the De Stijl group of artists and architects in the Netherlands in the 

1920s, and has since been considered one of the icons of the Modern Movement in architecture. 

The house is in many ways unique. It is the only building of its type in Rietveld’s output, and it also 

differs from other significant buildings of the early modern movement, such as the Villa Savoye by Le 

Corbusier or the Villa Tugendhat by Mies van der Rohe. The difference lies in particular in the treatment of 

architectural space and in the conception of the functions of the building. Many contemporary architects were 

deeply influenced by the Schröder house and this influence has endured up to the 

present. 

The quality of the Rietveld Schröderhuis lies in its having produced a synthesis of the 

design concepts in modern architecture at a certain moment in time. Part of the 

quality of the house is the flexibility of its spatial arrangement, which allows gradual 

changes over time in accordance with changes in functions. At the same time the 

building has also many artistic merits, and its visual image has strongly influenced 

building design in the second half of the 20th century. The interiors and furniture are 

an integral part of its design and should be given due recognition. 

Netherlands, 

Utrecht

The Rietveld Schröderhuis was located on the edge of the city of Utrecht close to the countryside, at the end of a 20th century row of houses. It was built against the wall of the adjacent 

brick house. The area beyond the house remained undeveloped, because it contained 19th century Dutch defence lines, which were still in use at the time. 


By car: From the Ring Utrecht follow the signs to centrum into the city center. You will then automatically enter the city via the main roads. It is wise to follow the main roads as long as 

possible. This is faster than driving through neighborhoods and residential areas. The parking places are indicated near by the center. 

By train: The station area is undergoing a ‘facelift’ with the ultimate goal to combine the station and the old city centre. Inconvenience is limited as much as possible and Utrecht remains 

easily accessible. Stop trains and intercity trains have one thing in common. In Utrecht all trains stop! No hassle with parking and within walking distance from the city centre. Amsterdam 

and Schiphol Airport are just 30 minutes by train; Rotterdam and The Hague at 45 minutes. Daily international trains from and to Brussels (2 hours), Cologne (2.5 hours) and Paris (3,5 

hours). For more info, go to www.ns.nl or www.nshighspeed.nl. 


The Dom Tower and Dom Church just might be the best-known objects of interest in Utrecht, but there are many more interesting churches and listed buildings, such as the 

Janskerk church, the modern Rietveld Schröderhuis or Kasteel de Haar castle and the fortresses of the New Dutch Water Defence Line just outside Utrecht. Below is an overview 

of popular places of interest in and around Utrecht! 

St. Willibrord Church. One of the most beautiful neo-gothic churches of the Netherlands. The hidden treasure of Utrecht. Hidden in the historic city centre of Utrecht lies the St 

Willibrordkerk. The church’s wealth of decorations, unique to The Netherlands, will astonish you. Admire the colourful stained-glass windows, the beautiful woodcarvings and the 

lavishly painted walls and ceilings. The neo-gothic St Willibrordkerk offers the opportunity to experience a characteristic church atmosphere at the time of the Middle Ages. 

Opening hours for visiting friday 13:30-16:00 en saturday 11:00-16:00. During Kerken Kijken Utrecht (late June to early September): tues.– sat. 11:00-17:00. Entrance is free. A 

contribution to the collection box for the upkeep of the church is appreciated. 

Treasure Domplein. Explore 2000 years of history with a guided tour on, under, and around the Domplein square. The Domplein is a real treasury, from the remains of the Roman 

castellum a few metres under the ground to the St Martin wind vane on the 112-metre high Dom Tower. The Domplein treasury is an exploratory expedition which takes in these 

visible and invisible traces from the past. Young and old learn about the history of Utrecht and the Domplein in particular in a fun and informative way. 

Useful Links 

http://www.visit-utrecht.com/ 


Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

B&B Het gekroonde visje 

E-mail: info@hetgekroondevisje.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)6 12 96 87 76 

De Willigen Lodging 

E-mail: info@dewilligenlogies.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)6 517 980 45 

West Kinderdijk 361 

2953 XV Alblasserdam 

Zuid-Holland - Nederland 

Paul en Lettie`s B&B 

Phone: +31 (0)34 628 21 54 

Mobile: +31 (0)6 48 36 92 89 

Bed aan de Nieuwegracht 

E-mail: info@bedaandegracht.nl 

Utrecht 

Het wapen van Alblasserdam 

Dam 24, 2952AB Alblasserdam 

ph. 078 - 691 47 11 

info@wapenvanalblasserdam.nl 

Dales Gast-en-Verblijf 

E-mail: info@gast-en-verblijf.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)30 231 56 05 

Chez Cho 

E-mail: n.j.bosma@casema.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)30 251 59 15 

In het Voorhuis 

E-mail: info@inhetvoorhuis.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)6 207 792 67 

van Haver tot Gracht 

E-mail: info@vanhavertotgracht.nl 

Phone: +31 (0)6 417 330 68 

Website: Van Haver tot Gracht

Mill Network 

at Kinderdijk- 

Elshout 

The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Netherlands to the 

technology of handling water is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the 

Kinderdijk-Elshout area. Construction of hydraulic works for the drainage of land for 

agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and have continued uninterruptedly to 

the present day. The site illustrates all the typical features associated with this technology – 

dykes, reservoirs, pumping stations, administrative buildings and a series of beautifully preserved 

windmills. 

The Kinderdijk-Elshout mill network is an outstanding man-made landscape that bears powerful 

testimony to human ingenuity and fortitude over a millennium in draining and protecting an area by the 

development and application of hydraulic technology. It is located in the north-western comer of the 

Alblasserwaard. It drained the internal drainage districts of De Overwaard and De Nederwaard until 1950, 

when the mills were closed. The 19 mills that form this group of monuments are all in operating condition. The 

Alblasserwaard is bounded by the rivers Lek to the north, 

Merwede to the south, and Noord to the south. The 

properties consist of discharge sluices, Water Board 

Assembly Houses, pumping stations, and brick and wooden 

mills. Owing to changed technical requirements, the discharge 

sluices were reduced to two and reconstructed in the 

mid-1980s. The Water Board Assembly Houses of De 

Overwaard and De Nederwaard survive intact. The former was 

built in 1581 and purchased by the Water Board in 1595 to 

house the Elshout lockmaster. 

Netherlands, 

Kinderdijk-Elshout

It was used for several other purposes until 1648, when it became the headquarters of the Water Board. It is a two-storeyed brick structure on a rectangular floor plan with a hipped roof. 

When it became the Water Board Assembly House the modifications included provision of a meeting room, addition of a stone door-arch decorated with coats of arms of the reeve and 

board members, new windows, and bedrooms in the attic for members. It underwent drastic alterations in 1918 when the dyke there was raised and widened: 3 m was removed from 

the front of the house and a new facade built. It was restored in 1981-83. The assembly house of De Nederwaard is a plain rectangular two-storeyed building of the 18th century with a 

hipped roof. The Wisbom pumping station was originally an auxiliary steam-driven pumping station for De Overwaard, built in 1868 with four scoop water-wheels on the exterior of the 

engine house. It was converted to electricity in 1924. At this time some modifications were carried out to the plain gabled brick structure. The Van Haaften pumping station, built for De 

Nederwaard, also dates from 1868. It was converted to diesel operation in 1927 and the scoop wheels were replaced by Archimedean screws. It was partly demolished in 1971-72 when 

the J.U. Smit pumping station was built. 

The most characteristic features of this landscape are the windmills, used to pump water from the polders using internal or external scoops into reservoirs, on two levels. At one time 

there were more than 150 in the Alblasserwaard and Vijfheerenlanden area; this had dropped to 78 in the 1870s but today the total is only 28, of which 16 are in the Kinderdijk area. The 

eight mills that survive on De Nederwaard were all built in 1738. They are bonnet mills (in which only the top section revolves with the wind), built from brick and with large sails that come 

within 30 cm of the ground, hence their name, 'ground sailers'. Eight mills are also in place on De Overwaard. All date from 1740 (although one was reconstructed in the 1980s). They are 

bonnet mills and ground sailers but, unlike those on De Nederwaard, they are octagonal in plan and built from wood on brick substructures. The internal iron scoop wheels are slightly 

larger than those on De Nederwaard, as are the spans of the sails. In addition to the mills on De Nederwaard and De Overwaard; the World Heritage site contains two mills from the 

Nieuw-Lekkerland polder and one from the Alblasserdam polder. Both of the former are of the same type as on De Overwaard, but De Hoge Molen (The High Mill) has an internal steel 

Archimedean screw for raising water, rather than a scoop wheel. The De Blokker mill on the Alblasserdam polder is the only example in this area of the earlier form of mill, the hollow post 

mill, in which the upper part of the structure that revolves with the wind is considerably larger than that of the bonnet mill. The date of its original construction is unknown, but records 

show that there has been a mill here since the late 15th century. Although they went out of use in the late 1940s, all 19 mills are still maintained in operating condition, because they 

function as fall-back mills in case of failure of the modern equipment. So far as the landscape is concerned, the other most striking feature is the evidence that still survives in two areas of 

the medieval land-tenure system, based on long thin strip fields. This is a landscape that has not changed significantly for centuries. 


As Kinderdijk is in a rural area, getting there with public transport can be a time-consuming process. The easiest way to get there is to first take a train to railway station Rotterdam 

Lombardijen. This station is easily accessible from the major cities. You will have to continue your way by bus. When leaving the railway station, cross the street and tram lines to get to 

the bus stop. Arriva operates two bus connections that serve bus stop Kinderdijk, Molenkade: Bus 90 operates hourly, 7 days a week, and has Utrecht CS as its final destination. The 

ride takes about 45 minutes. Bus 190 is a special bus that operates infrequently. It only seems to reach Kinderdijk during morning rush hours. If you're not sure when to get off, ask the 

bus driver to tell you when he's there. You can plan your trip ahead from 9292.nl. As both bus lines depart from metro station Rotterdam Zuidplein, you could alternatively take the bus 

from there. 


By car 

There are many ways to get to Kinderdijk by motorway. If you're coming from Rotterdam, drive south along motorway A16 in the direction to Dordrecht. At the junction, get onto the A15 

that goes in eastward direction to Gorinchem. Get off at exit 22 and follow the signs to Kinderdijk. 

If you're coming from Amsterdam or Utrecht, drive south along motorway A2. At the junction Everdingen, get onto motorway A27 that goes to Gorinchem in southwestern direction. At 

the junction Gorinchem, get onto motorway A15 that goes to Rotterdam in westwards direction. Get off at exit 22 and follow the signs to Kinderdijk. The ride is about 100 km from 

Amsterdam. 

By boat 

You can also take the Waterbus ferry from Rotterdam (under the Erasmus bridge) or from Dordrecht (on Merwekade). Take Route 20 and get off at Ridderkerk (De Schans). There you 

have to transfer to a smaller ferry to Kinderdijk. This transfer is seamless as both ferries' timetables are synchronized with one another. Though delays are rare, connecting services will 

generally wait at Ridderkerk to guarantee a connection. 

A single trip should take you around 35 minutes from Rotterdam and an hour from Dordrecht. 

The connecting service from Ridderkerk to Kinderdijk starts at 12:30 (11:30 from May to September) and the last connection from Kinderdijk back to Ridderkerk departs at 17:35. 

There is only weekend service from May to September. The first connection to Kinderdijk is at 11:00 and the last return connection is at 17:10. 

Ticket prices vary depending on the ticket type. However, waterbus offers a special day ticket, valid on both ferries and also grants free entrance to the Museum mill and the Wisboom 

pumping station. The price of this ticket is €12,95 per person for adults and €9,00 for children (ages 4 to 11) and seniors (65 and older). Children under the age of 4 travel free of charge. 

Tickets available from the Waterbus staff (cash only).

Urban Cities…

Making my own way 

into a multifaceted world 

 

 

 

 

 


Urban Cities 

itinerary

Portugal, 

Porto 

Historical Centre 

of Porto 

The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the 

Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its 

continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be 

seen in the many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, to 

the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa 

Clara. Oporto is of outstanding universal value as the urban fabric and its many historic buildings 

bear remarkable testimony to the development over the past 1,000 years of a European city that 

looks outward to the West for its cultural and commercial links. 

The historic centre of is a townscape of high aesthetic value, with evidence of urban development 

from the Roman, medieval, and Almadas periods. The rich and varied civil architecture of the historic 

centre expresses the cultural values of succeeding periods - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, 

Baroque, neoclassical and modern. The active social and institutional tissue of the town ensures its 

survival as a living historic centre. Military, commercial, agricultural, and demographic interests converged 

here to shelter a population capable of building the city. It is a collective work, not accomplished at a 

particular moment but the result of successive contributions. One of the most relevant aspects of Oporto is 

its scenic character, resulting from the complexity of the landform, the harmonious articulation of its roads, 

and the dialogue with the river. It also represents a successful interaction between the social and 

geographical environments. There has been human occupation on the site of modern Oporto, at the mouth of 

the Douro River, since the 8th century BC. There the Romans established a town under the name of Portus. 

With the arrival in the early 5th century of the barbarians, the town became very important as an administrative 

and trading centre. By the early 11th century, it was firmly established as part of the Castilian realm. The first 

period of expansion came with the construction in 1374 of a new town wall protecting the two urban nuclei - the 

original medieval town and the hitherto extramural harbour area.

Oporto lent support to the expeditions organized by Henry the Navigator (who was born in the town) in the early 15th century. English entrepreneurs invested in the vineyards of the 

Douro valley, to supply the huge English market, and Oporto, as the port for the export of these wines, benefited greatly, as the wealth of Baroque buildings in the town attests. The 

citizens reacted against Pombal's creation of the Companhia do Alto Douro, designed to end the English monopoly. Oporto was the birthplace of the Liberal Revolution in 1820, 

which led to the adoption by the monarchy of the Seminal Constitution of 1822. During the 19th century, the town centre moved from the banks of the river to the new 

developments around the Praça da Liberdade: Gustav Eiffel designed the railway bridge across the river (1875), and many new buildings were constructed. 

The historic centre is enclosed within the enceinte of the 14th-century Fernandine walls, together with some smaller areas that retain their medieval characteristics. This area 

conserves to a large extent the medieval town plan and urban fabric, with some later monumental insertions. Remains of the 12th-century ramparts that survive in place were 

erected on Roman foundations. Only two sections of the Fernandine walls, initiated by Dom Afonso IV in 1336 but named after his successor, Dom Fernando, in whose reign they 

were completed in 1376, are still standing. The massive crenellated stone walls were strengthened with many bastions and square towers. In this area there are many important 

ecclesiastical building, such as the Romanesque core of the cathedral. Among the many fine Gothic churches are São Francisco, São Lourenço dos Grillos, in the Mannerist style, 

Santa Clara in the Gothic Manueline style with later classical Renaissance elements, Nossa Senhora da Vitória, the early Baroque lgreja da Misericórdia, and lgreja dos Clérigos of 

Niccolò Nazzoni. Oporto also has a number of outstanding public buildings: the São 

João Theatre, the Palácio da Batalha, the Palácio das Sereias and the former Prison da Relação. Among the important later structures are the neo-Palladian Hospital Sant'António, 

the imposing Alfándega, and the Palace da Bolsa in neoclassical style, the Ferreira Borges Market, the São Bento railway station and the Paços do Concelho. 


It is possible to reach Oporto using a variety of forms of transportation, including the following: 

By plane. The International Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro is about 17 km from the city center of Oporto, by car. It's also possible to make this connection by metro or bus. 

By train. The railway station, located in the city center of Oporto, connects (directly or not) the city to several points in Portugal and also makes a direct connection to Spain (Vigo). 

By bus. There are several bus companies that connects (directly or not) Oporto to any point in Portugal. 

By car. The current network of motorways connects Porto to the major cities in the Northern Region (Guimarães, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Peso da Régua), but also to 

Vigo (Spain) and Lisbon. There are companies offering rent a car in Porto. 

By boat. Oporto has one international cruise terminal, located in the Port of Leixões (in the city of Matosinhos, next to Oporto). The city also has three marinas for recreational 

boating: the Douro Marina, the Marina do Freixo and the Marina Porto Atlântico (the last one also in the city of Matosinhos). 

Within the historical center of Oporto, tourists and visitors can easily get around on foot or bicycle (some hotels, hostels and specialized companies rent bikes by hour, day or week). 

For longer trips within the municipality of Oporto and the Great Oporto Metropolitan Area, it is possible to travel by car, by bus (Serviço de Transportes Colectivos do Porto – STCP) 

or by metro (Metro do Porto). 



Museums: 

The Northern Heritage Space (former Monastery of Santo Agostinho da Serra do Pilar); 

Casa do Infante – Museum; Treasure of the Cathedral; Guerra Junqueiro House-Museum; 

Maria Isabel Guerra Junqueiro and Luís Pinto de Mesquita Carvalho Foundation; 

Archaeosite (Rua D. Hugo, no. 5); Sacred Art and Archaeology Museum; 

Oporto Puppet Theatre; 

Museum Centre of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto; 

Tram Museum; Transports and Communications Museum; 

Soares dos Reis National Museum; 

Portuguese Centre for Photography; Port Wine Museum; 

Marta Ortigão Sampaio House Museum; Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art; 

Romantic Museum of Quinta da Macieirinha; Museum of Paper Money and a Congress and Exhibition Centre; 

Natural History Museum of the Porto University; Museum of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto; 

Faculty of Fine Arts Museum of the University of Porto; Fernando de Castro House Museum; 

António Carneiro House and Workshop; Pharmacy Museum; among others. 

The Oportos most emblematic popular event ais surely the São João festivities (happen on the night of night of 23 June), a party that mixes sacred and profane traditions.

Among the many cultural events that take place regularly in Oporto, we highlight the following festivals: “Serralves em Festa” 40 Hours Non-Stop Festival (multidisciplinary 

contemporary arts festival); FITEI - International Festival of Iberian Expression Theatre (dedicated to contemporary theatre in Spanish and Portuguese); Fantasporto (fantasy, 

horror and weird films festival); Ritual Rock Nights (dedicated to alternative portuguese contemporary music bands); Primavera Sounds (dedicated to international alternative 

avant-garde, rock and electronic contemporary music). 

Useful Links 

http://www.cm-porto.pt/ — Official Webstie of Oporto Municipality 

http://www.portovivosru.pt/ — Official Webstie of the Porto Vivo, SRU - Urban Rehabilitation Society for the Oporto’s Downtown 

http://www.portoturismo.pt/ — Official Website of the Oporto Tourism Department 

http://www.unesco.pt/ — Official Website of the Portuguese UNESCO (currently suspended) 

http://www.culturanorte.pt/ — Official Website of the Directorate of Culture for the Northern Region

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

• HF Ipanema Park (*****) 

• Sheraton Porto Hotel & 

Spa (*****) 

• Porto Palácio Congress 

Hotel & Spa (*****); Tiara 

Park Atlantic Porto (*****) 

• Hotel Intercontinental 

Porto (*****) 

• Hotel Infante Sagres 

(*****) 

• Pestana Porto Hotel (****) 

• Freixo Palace Hotel 

Hotels 

+ 

Hostels 

• Pousada de Juventude 

• Pilot Hostel 

• Wine Hostel 

• Oporto City Hostel 

• Oporto Invictus Hostel 

• Andarilho Hostel 

• Porto Lounge Hostel & Guesthouse 

• Porto Downtown Hostel 

• Tattva Design Hostel 

• Casa das Taipas; GZ Hostel 

• Magnólia Porto Hostel 

• Porto Spot Hostel 

• Oporto Excentric Hostel

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

• Cristo Rei 

• D'Ouro 

• Peninsular 

• Santa Luzia 

• Vivacity Porto 

• Universal 

• Porto Rico 

• Oporto House; 

• O Escondidinho 

• França 

• Portuguesa 

• Pensão Favorita 

Lusitana 

• Tropical 

• Aviz 

Local Accomodations 

• Porto Madrid 

• Xangô 

• Campo Lindo 

• Lunar 

• Duas Nações 

• Cristal 

• Grande Oceano 

• VitóriaVillage 

• ROSA ET AL Townhouse 

• Cosme Guesthouse 

• 4Rooms - Guest House 

• Boavista Guest House 

• Guest House Douro 

• 6Only - Guest House 

• PortoRiad Guest House 

• O'Porto Seven-Guest House 

• The White Box 

House 

• inPátio Guest 

House 

• Cale Guest 

House 

• Álvares Cabral 

Guest House 

• Antiqua 

• Santa Clara 

• Mira Norte 

• Astória 

• Estrela da Noite 

• Henrique VIII 

• Mirandesa 

• Curaçau 

• Santa Catarina 

• Porto Novo 

• Visconde 

• Borsalino 

• Lis

Italy, 

Brescia 

Monumental 

Area and the 

monastic 

complex of 

St. Salvatore 

and St. Giulia 

The area for which a nomination is being submitted includes the vast Monumental 

area with Monastic complex of San Salvatore–Santa Giulia, where the traces of 

Longobard presence in Brescia are most evident. Here, the evergetism of the royal 

family came to expression in the architectural grandeur of the Monastery of Santa Giulia- 

San Salvatore and in the refinement of its decorative apparatus.Both the Monumental area 

and the Monastic complex looked back to architectural and decorative examples that had 

already been developed in the capital at Pavia, and then at Cividale del Friuli, it was adopted 

here by secular and ecclesiastical patrons as the model for their buildings of restige. 

The decorations are of outstanding importance; the stucco ceiling panels in the side-aisles can 

be seen as an illustrious antecedent of the renaissance coffered ceiling. in the overall 

arrangements it is possible to recognise the traditions of northern european (British and 

Germanic), the Mediterranean (Ravenna, Rome), and the East. 

Nominated property comprises the Longobard Church and the Crypt of San Salvatore, built at the 

behest of Desiderius and Ansa, and incorporated with other artefacts by later additions to the 

convent (including the church of Santa Giulia, the Church of Santa Maria in Solario, the nuns’ choir, 

three cloisters and a courtyard) and other remains from the Longobard period in the area to the West of 

the Monastery, built over the extraordinary remains of the roman buildings.

Monumental area. To the West of the monastic complex lies an Monumental 

archaeological area closely linked to the events affecting San Salvatore-Santa 

Giulia at the time between Late Antiquity period and early Middle Ages. 

The Archaeological area includes the area to the north of the Forum, namely, the 

heart of the ancient roman city, where all main functions were concentrated, be 

they religious, commercial, political or relating to the law. 

The public buildings, used to overlook the decumanus maximus, the ancient 

city’s main street. A section of the street’s original paving is still visible today, and 

shares the same route with today’s Via dei Musei, which constitutes the 

southern boundary of the San Salvatore-Santa Giulia complex. 

The Republican Santuary. The most ancient religious building dates back to 

the second quarter of the 1st century A.D., thus to Republican times. 

Archaeological campaigns carried out since 1823 to the present have made it 

possible to define the building’s overall plan. The building comprised four halls, 

flanking each other, covered with a barrel vault and placed on a podium, each 

with its independent monumental access. 

The interior of each hall was decorated with hellenistic style frescoes, which can 

be compared to the frescoes in Pompei showing a transitional style, showing 

elements belonging to both the so-called first and second style. The high quality 

of these works suggests these were workmen possibly coming from Rome itself 

or from the area surrounding the Vesuvius. 

The Capitolium. The Capitolium, built in 73 A.C., was dedicated to emperor 

Vespasian and dedicated to the cult of the so-called Capitoline Triad (Jove, Juno 

and Minerva).The building is characterized by a high podium; the prominent 

pronaos is conceived as a continuation of the lateral portico which act as 

boundaries of the Temple’s terrace, the same portica on the southern side, 

crossed the decumanus maximus and stretched out this way to surround the 

open space constituted by the Forum and the basilica, the southernmost 

building in the Forum complex.The Capitolium, whose architectural elements 

belong to the corinthian order, was built using local limestone; for the paving of 

the halls imported polychrome marble was used. The resulting sectilia floorings, 

work of great quality and luxury are visible in the central and in the Western cell. 

The building was excavated between 1823 and 1830; its elevation was partly reconstructed 

and the Museo Patrio, the city’s first museum, was placed inside. 

The Roman Theater. To the east of Temple lie the remains of the Roman Theatre, a 

building used for public spectacles. Here, an early phase, dating back to the time of 

Augustus, was followed by an enlargement during the Flavian period, which went hand in 

hand with the erection of the nearby Capitolium. The cavea held spectators’ seating, and 

vaulted corridors to reach the various sectors, and was built to ensure the hill behind acted 

as a support. Between the cavea and the decumanus maximus the frons scenae was built. 

This acted as the backdrop against which the dramatic action unfolded; the lower levels of 

the frons scenae, which must have been quite imposing, still survive to this day thanks to a 

quantity of architectural fragments and precious decorations, which can be dated to the 

severan period (end of the 2nd beginning of the 3rd century AD), when this part of the 

building was modified and enriched. 

After Rome. Except the Republican Sanctuary, which was superseded by the Capitolium of 

73 A.D., all the Forum buildings remained in use probably up to the 4th century A.D. As in 

the case of many other cities, Brescia looses its function and importance and a long period 

of degradation begins. The roman city has originally been divided according to functions into 

different sectors, but now this distinction disappears. As also occurred in the San Salvatore- 

Santa Giulia area, here too the total promiscuity of buildings, burials, and craftsmenlike 

activities are in evidence. The single buildings had a slightly different fate, which partly 

depended on their original function and on their monumental form. The signs indicating a 

change of function and use are mostly visible in the western portico of the Capitolium.The 

Theatre, on account of its less direct link to the pagan religion and for its same shape was 

used to contain large numbers of people at least up to the Late Medieval period, and was 

used as a place for public meetings. This public meetings area was however quite small 

compared to the roman building’s size. The building’s abandoned areas and neighbouring 

buildings were thus deprived of their stone, marble and brick masonry. The result of these 

demolitions are large dumps of debris which archaeological surveys have identified in the 

whole area. over this layer, as in the nearby temple, a brick firing plant datable between the 

Late Antique and the early Longobard period has been found. 


Burial Ground 

Another area of the same theatre was used as a burial ground which surely 

dates from the Longobard period. It includes four rectangular burials bordered 

by small stone walls and capuchin-type coverings, as well as 19 later tombs, 

associated in a building composed of “roughly squared blocks” whose function 

has not been identified yet. In the area of the frons scenae there are also levels 

which were freed and regularized to accomodate simple habitations, where 

levels of use and hearths are documented. In particular in the area to the west 

traces of fires and degradation, pits for pole supports and fire hearths used for 

habitation purposes have been found and are related to the levels of the burial 

and with the ones comprising Longobard ceramics. A relatively high number of 

productive structures are present in the area of the Capitolium and in the 

Theatre, and seem to indicate these could be under the control of public 

authority. Surely such authority should be identified as a royal representative, 

who lived at the royal court (corresponding today to the area of the Monastery of 

San Salvatore-Santa Giulia), from whom this area of the city actually depended. 


By Car 

Brescia is located in a strategic position, a short distance from Milan and Venice, 

at the intersection of major European corridors connecting France to Austria 

(from W to E) and Germany and Central Europe in Rome (from North to South). 

From Turin and Milan A4 highway exit Brescia Centro (the city). Alternatively, take 

the A21 highway from Turin. 

From Venice or Verona A4 highway towards Milan and exit at Brescia Centro. 

From Bologna, Florence or Rome, take the A1 to Modena, continue on the A22 

to Verona and then the A4 to Brescia Centro. 

From Genoa and Liguria in Tortona take the A7 highway and continue on the 

A21 to the destination. 

By bus 

Brescia and the main tourist resorts can be reached by bus from Italy and Europe. The bus 

station is located in Brescia, close to the train station. 

Here are a few operators: www.eurolines.com — www.autostradale.it 

An efficient network of buses internal to the province of Brescia then allows you to reach all 

the main towns. www.trasportibrescia.it 

By Train 

Brescia is the midpoint of a circuit of cities such as Verona, Trento, Bergamo, Milan, Mantua 

and Cremona. Brescia and its lakes thus become the perfect place to stay and from which 

to these destinations, shopping or attend concerts. 

The geographical location, landscape aspects, the historical, artistic, cultural, but also the 

food and wine, events, infrastructure make the province of Brescia, an area with high tourist 

vocation. 

Line Brenner Modena. Milan-Venice line. Line Brescia Parma — www.trenitalia.it 

— www.trenord.it 

By plane 

Verona Villafranca, Valerio Catullo ( 50 km) — www.aeroportoverona.it 

Brescia Montichiari, G. D' Annunzio (15 miles) — www.aeroportobrescia.it 

Bergamo Orio al Serio ( 60 km) — www.sacbo.it 

Milan Linate and Malpensa (100 km) — www.sea-aeroportimilano.it 

Venice Marco Polo Airport (180 km) — www.veniceairport.it



CASTLES IN THE PROVINCE OF BRESCIA. The Castle of Brescia, first of 

all, and that in defense of the medieval town of Sirmione: romantic, scenic, 

majestic. And then the fortresses of Breno and Padenghe and Padernello 

and those that dot the hills of Franciacorta. Ancient fortresses that now 

houses private homes or prestigious wineries that produce and sell to the 

public the great wines of Franciacorta. Places to visit and to dream. 

THE GREAT THEATRE OF BRESCIA. The current hall of the Grand Theatre 

was built in 1810 by architect Luigi Canonica and was decorated in 1862 by 

the hand of Girolamo Magnani. Remarkable is also the ceiling of the hall of 

today Reduced, with faux balustrade overlooking the sky animated by 

numerous figures of the Olympian gods . The Grand Foyer , opened in 1772, 

is one of the most remarkable examples of eighteenth-century architectural 

splendor applied to a structure of the show. Trivia: Madama Butterfly by 

Puccini was greeted enthusiastically at the Teatro Grande in Brescia on May 

28, 1904 , after the failure of the first performance at La Scala . From there he 

began his luck. the billboard of the theater, between tradition and modernity , 

ranging between performances of opera , dance, music and cultural events. 

The great theater also hosts every year in spring the International Piano 

Festival of Brescia and Bergamo , one of the world's largest events on the 

piano. www.teatrogrande.it, www.festivalpianistico.it 

ART GALLERIES. Along with a strong tradition of public institutions, the 

province of Brescia is a land of important private galleries. The Galleria 

Massimo Minini from 1973 is among the most important in the world and is 

home to artists such as Anish Kapoor, Sol Lewitt, Jan Fabre, Maurizio 

Cattelan, Vanessa Beecroft, just to name a few. Next to it in recent years has 

developed a thriving market of galleries of contemporary art and 

photography, concentrated particularly in the quadrangle between Tybalt 

Brusato Square, Via Museums, Piazza Duomo and Via Tosio in Brescia. 

THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY. The city is home to the Museum of the 

Benedictine monastery of San Salvatore - Santa Giulia, founded in 753 AD by 

the Lombard king Desiderius. It occupies the north-eastern area of the 

ancient city, where, over the centuries , have overlapped and layered 

significant archaeological and monumental. 

Santa Giulia City Museum — Via Museums, 81 / b - 25121 Brescia 

Tel 030 297 7833 / 7834 — Fax 030 297 8222 — www.bresciamusei.com 

INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL OF BRESCIA AND BERGAMO. The International 

Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo is considered one of the world's most important 

festival dedicated to the piano. In 1986 he was awarded the Premio Abbiati Italian Music 

Critics and awarded the Liszt Medal of the Hungarian Ministry of Culture. Since 1988 

belongs to the Association Européenne des Festivals. Co-Founder Federfestival (now 

Italiafestival), is placed under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, 

and on the occasion of the presentation of the XXIX in Strasbourg has obtained the 

patronage of the President of the European Parliament. Born in 1964 as a tribute to the 

great pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli in Brescia birth, on the initiative of the Master 

Augustine Orizio - who is still the artistic director - was quickly extended to Bergamo. 

Info: www.festivalpianistico.it 

Gardone: FESTIVAL OF VITTORIALE. A marble basin under the stars " is how the poet 

Gabriele d'Annunzio imagined the ideal theater to represent their shows, of course 

nestled in the frame splendia Vittoriale example of one of Wagner in Bayreuth. Should 

have been called " Parlaggio ." It was the poet himself who chose the place : a vantage 

point of the park, where you can admire the Isola del Garda , Monte Baldo , the 

peninsula of Sirmione and , above all, the impressive Rock of Manerba - where Goethe 

seems to recognize the profile of Dante. In 1931 the poet 's work entrusted to the 

architect of the Vittoriale , Gian Carlo Maroni , who sent in Pompeii because he thought 

the new construction on the example of the Roman world's oldest. Work began between 

'34 and '35, but were soon interrupted due to financial difficulties, exacerbated the 

beginning of the war and the death of the poet. Taken by the will of the Foundation 

twenty years later, in '52 , they finished the following year, to the architect Mario Moretti 

and Italo Maroni , brother of Gian Carlo. On 8 August 1953, the theater was solemnly 

opened with a concert by the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala conducted by Carlo 

Maria Giulini. 

Today it houses a season with international stars of music, theater, dance. Info: 

www.anfiteatrodelvittoriale.it 

Useful Links 

http://www.bresciatourism.it/

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

B&B CÀ DEL GANDO A BRESCIA 

Via Dei Musei, 75 - 25121 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph.: +39 340 6753630 

cadelgando@yahoo.it 

www.cadelgando.it 

B&B LA FENICE A BRESCIA 

Via Corsica, 18 - 25122 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph. +39 340 3745199 

info@lafenicebrescia.com 

www.lafenicebrescia.com 

Home Holidays 

+ 

B&B IL LEONCINO A BRESCIA 

Viale Italia 19 - 25126 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph.: +39 030 8080235 

mob. +39 349/4569031 

bedandbreakfastilleoncino@gmail.com 

Bed&Breakfast 

B&B LA TERRAZZA A BRESCIA 

Viale Stazione, 33 - 25100 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph. +39 03040134, +39 338 2268132 

info@bresciabedandbreakfast.it 

www.bresciabedandbreakfast.it 

B&B LA CHIOCCIOLA DI MORIANA 

Via Ancona, 50 - 25125 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph.: +39 030 3541632, +39 348 2866257 

info@lachioccioladimoriana.it 

www.lachioccioladimoriana.it 

L'ALTANA CITY HOUSE A BRESCIA 

Contrada delle Cossere 2 - Brescia (BS) 

Ph.: +39 389 5698 968 

laltana.cityhouse@gmail.com 

GESTIONI PLUS A BRESCIA 

Vicolo della Stazione 31 - 25100 - Brescia 

Ph.: +39 0306155504, +39 03047772 

info@appartahotel.it - www.appartahotel.it 

RES. CASCINA COSTALUNGA A BRESCIA 

Via Val Barbisona, 15/a - 25123 - Brescia 

Ph.: +39 030 3385360 

info@residencecostalunga.it 

www.residencecostalunga.it

Austria, 

Graz 

City of Graz – 

Historic Centre 

and Schloss 

Eggenberg 

The City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg bear witness 

to an exemplary model of the living heritage of a central European urban complex 

influenced by the secular presence of the Habsburgs and the cultural and artistic role 

played by the main aristocratic families. They are a harmonious blend of the architectural 

styles and artistic movements that have succeeded each other from the Middle Ages until 

the 18th century, from the many neighbouring regions of Central and Mediterranean 

Europe. They embody a diversified and highly comprehensive ensemble of architectural, 

decorative and landscape examples of these interchanges of influence. The historic centre 

of the city of Graz reflects artistic and architectural movements originating from the Germanic 

region, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, for which it served as a crossroads for centuries. 

The greatest architects and artists of these different regions expressed themselves forcefully 

here and thus created brilliant syntheses. The urban complex forming the historic centre of the 

city is an exceptional example of a harmonious integration of architectural styles from successive 

periods. Each age is represented by typical buildings, which are often masterpieces. The urban 

physiognomy faithfully tells the story of its historic development. The first traces of continuous 

human settlement go back to the Neolithic period. The site was not a Roman settlement, even 

though crossed by a few roads. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was invaded, successively by 

Avars, Hungarians, and finally by German settlers. Graz was included in the March of Carinthia and 

mentioned for the first time in an official deed of 1128-29. Around this time an open market began to 

flourish, leading to urban development with the immigration of Bavarian settlers. After the Treaty of 

Neuberg (1379) and the first division of the Habsburg heritage, Graz came under the rule of the line 

established by Leopold III.

. 

The 16th century was marked by constant threats from the Turks, as well as 

religious turmoil. The medieval fortifications were modernized according to 

Renaissance principles. In 1564, Graz became the capital of Inner Austria, despite 

the danger of Turkish invasions and the advances made by the Reformation. 

When elected Emperor in 1618, Ferdinand, son of Archduke Charles II, transferred 

his court to Vienna, and Graz underwent a relative economic recession. When the 

danger from the Turks was finally averted the economy boomed once again. 

Aristocrats and bourgeoisie competed with each other in their aspirations for 

honours and culture, and several mansions were built in Renaissance or early 

Baroque style. Among the hundreds of buildings of great historic and architectural 

interest, a few particularly remarkable edifices are worthy of note. Of the original 

castle where Emperor Frederick III resided, all that remains is a Gothic hall, a late 

Gothic chapel, and a double spiral staircase going back to 1499. The wing 

constructed by Archduke Charles in 1570 has remained largely intact. Frederick III 

built the present cathedral in late Gothic style (1438-64) alongside a Romanesque 

church dedicated to St Aegidius. It contains admirable frescoes such as the 

'Scourges of God', attributed to Thomas von Villach (1480). Following the transfer 

of the bishopric from Seckau to Graz, the church of St Aegidius, used for 200 

years as a centre for the Counter-Reformation, became the cathedral of the new 

diocese in 1786. The Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, started in 1614 by 

Giovanni de Ponis, was only consecrated in 1714 when the interior decoration, 

entrusted to Johann Bernhard Fischer von Ehrlach, was completed. The facade in 

particular reflects the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque style and is 

an original synthesis between a powerful architecture topped by light domes. The 

Seminary (former Jesuit College): unlike other colleges, this impressive complex, 

started in 1572, was not remodelled in the Baroque style and is therefore an 

important illustration of the severe Renaissance architecture adopted by the order 

when it was first established in the German province. After the dissolution of the 

order in 1773, the Jesuit University came under public control. In order to 

safeguard its collection, the library was installed in the old magna aula and in the 

theatre, on the orders of Empress Maria Theresa. Its decoration and furnishings 

make it a significant manifestation of the transition from the Rococo to the 

classical style, and it now serves as a show case for the Styrian Archives. 


The city of Graz has only short distances. Therefore the most suitable way to learn 

more about Graz is to walk along the small lanes and streets. An excellent 

network of bus and tram will bring you to the sites out of the centre 

Graz by plane. In the last years the airport of Graz has become more and more a major 

transport hub. Since the airport of Graz is very close to the city centre with good transport 

connections, a lot of people use this mode of transport to get to Graz. Currently there are 

direct flights operating from Berlin, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Palma de Mallorca, Zürich 

– as well as from Vienna. By the air-hubs Munich, Frankfurt and Vienna, you can easily reach 

Graz. 

Graz by train. The railway station in Graz is very close located to the city centre – passengers 

can reach it by tramlines in a few minutes. There are a lot of direct trains that connect Graz 

with national railway stations, for example from Vienna, Salzburg, Linz, Innsbruck and 

Klagenfurt. Furthermore there are also direct connections to international railway stations for 

example from Munich, Stuttgart, Saarbrücken, Frankfurt, Zagreb, Prague, Ljubljana and 

Maribor. 

Graz by car. Graz is situated at the crossing of the highways A2 and A9. If passengers want 

to use the Austrian highways, they need a “vignette” troll sticker for all. 

And the nearby Other outstanding cultural 

places 

Kunsthaus (contemporary art adjoined to historic architecture /iron house). Island in the 

Mur. Shopping centre Kastner & Öhler: new renovated shop with a splendid shopping-hall 

and a terrace on the roof (“sky walk”). WHE-festival. Long Night of museums (1. Saturday 

in October). “Schloßbergfest” (family event on the Schloßberg / hill in the middle of Graz). 

Advent in Graz. Thematic tours in Graz at special week-ends (offered by Graz-Guides). 

Useful Links 

www.graz.atOfficial website of the City of Graz — http://www.museum-joanneum.at/de/ 

schloss_eggenberg Official website of Schloss Eggenberg — http://www.graztourismus.at/ 

de Official website of the tourism in Graz — http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/931/ Website of 

the UNESCO Heritage City Graz 


Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

A&O Graz Hauptbahnhof 

Youth hostel, B&B 

Eggenberger Straße 7, Graz 

Tel: +43 316 570 162 37 00 

www.aohostels.com/de/graz/grazhauptbahnhof/ 

Ibis Graz 


Europaplatz 12, Lend, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +43 316 7780 

Hotel Bed and Breakfast Graz 

Hotel and B&B 

Annenstraße 60, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +43 664 73 679 117 

www.hotelbb.at 

Hotels 

Hotel Daniel 


Europaplatz 1, 8020 Graz 

T +43 (0)316 711 080-0 

www.hoteldaniel.com/de/graz.html 

Jugend- und Familiengästehaus 

Youth-hostel 

Idlhofgasse 74, 8020 Graz 

Tel: +4357083210 

www.jufa.eu/

Belgium, 

Brussels 

La Grand- 

Place, Brussels 

La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body 

of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th 

century. The architecture provides a vivid illustration of the level of 

social and cultural life of the period in this important political and 

commercial centre. The Grand-Place is an outstanding example of 

the eclectic and highly successful blending of architectural and artistic 

styles that characterizes the culture and society of this region. Through the 

nature and quality of its architecture and of its outstanding quality as a public open 

space, it illustrates in an exceptional way the evolution and achievements of a highly 

successful mercantile city of northern Europe at the height of its prosperity. 

The earliest written reference to the Nedermarckt (Lower Market), as it was originally 

known, dates from 1174. The present name came into use in the last quarter of the 18th 

century. It is located on former marshland on the right bank of the River Senne, to the east 

of the castellum, a defensive outwork of the castle built around 977 by Charles of France, 

Duke of Lower Lotharingia. The marsh was drained in the 12th century. The present 

rectangular outline of the Grand'Place has developed over the centuries as a result of 

successive enlargements and other modifications, and did not take up its definitive form until 

after 1695. It has, however, always had seven streets running into it. In the 13th and 14th 

centuries the market-place was surrounded by haphazardly disposed steenen (the stone-built 

Cloth, Bread, and Meat Halls or Markets) and timber-framed houses, separated by yards, gardens, 

or ambiti (passages serving as fire-breaks). During the 15th century the houses on the south side 

were replaced by the east and west wings of the City Hall (1401-44) and its bell tower (1449). A new 

Bread Hall was built on the north side in 1405. The Bread Hall was demolished in 1512-13 and 

replaced by a large building that was given the name 'the King's House' (La Maison du Roi). During 

the course of the 16th century many of the houses were rebuilt with new facades in Renaissance or 

Baroque style. On 14 August 1695 Louis XIV of France ordered Marshal Villeroy to bombard the city as a 

reprisal following the destruction of French coastal towns and ports by Dutch and English warships.

Despite the severity of the bombardment, reconstruction was rapid, thanks to 

the action taken by the City authorities and the generous support of other towns 

and provinces. In a remarkable ordinance promulgated in 1697 by the City 

Magistrate, all proposals for the reconstruction of facades had to be submitted 

to the authorities for approval, so as to preserve the harmony of the square. In 

four years the Grand-Place had been completely restored to its original layout 

and appearance.. 

The Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), which covers most of the south side of the 

Grand'Place, consists of a group of buildings around a rectangular internal 

courtyard. The part facing on to the square is from the 15th century, consisting 

of two L-shaped buildings. The entire facade is decorated with statues dating 

from the 19th century. The southern part of the complex is a restrained classical 

building that closes the U-shaped plan of the Gothic structures, built in the 18th 

century. Facing the City Hall across the square is its other main feature, the 

Maison du Roi (King's House), now used as the City Museum. In 1873 the City 

Council decided that its state of conservation was so bad that it should be 

demolished and rebuilt. The reconstruction was based on the original. The result 

is a three-storey brick building with an arcaded facade, saddleback roof and 

centrally placed tower with lantern. 

Each of the houses around the Grand'Place, which vary considerably in size, 

has its own name: Les Ducs de Brabant, Le Roi de l'Espagne, Le Cornet, Le 

Cygne, the Maison des Brasseurs, Le Cerf, La Maison des Tailleurs. The degree 

of conservation of original features inside the houses around the Grand'Place is 

somewhat variable. In some cases almost no changes have been made since 

the early 18th century, whereas in others there has been radical conversion and 

modernization. In a number of cases the ground floors have been converted for 

use as shops, restaurants, or cafes. 


Right in the heart of Europe, Brussels has superb air, road and rail connections. 

More than 60 million Europeans live within 300km of Brussels, less than two 

hours by high-speed train. For those who fly in, it takes only 20 minutes from the 

airport to the city centre. And when you have arrived, it's easy to move around 

the compact city, by public transport or on foot. 

Train Stations in Brussels 

Société nationale des Chemins de Fer belges (SNCB) — There are five main stations serving 

the Brussels-Capital Region, all interlinked. For all information concerning passenger 

transport in Belgium and abroad, T (0)2 528 28 28 

National traffic: 7 a.m. -9.15 p.m. International traffic and reservations, Eurostar; TGV, Thalys 

Info: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; WE: 9 a.m. - 5.30 p.m.) www.sncb.be 

The main stations: 

Central Station (at walking distance from the Grand Place) Carrefour de l'Europe 2 - 1000 

South Station rue de France 2 - 1070 For London: Eurostar, For Paris: Thalys, For France: 

TGV 

North Station rue du Progrès 85 - 1210 For Amsterdam 

Luxembourg Station place du Luxembourg - 1040 For Luxembourg 

Schuman Station Rond-point Schuman - 1040 Serves European institutions. 

Airport in Brussels 

Brussels Airport 

Brussels International Airport is at Zaventem, 14 km from the city centre. Information can be 

obtained by phone: Tel (0)2 753 42 21 / (0)2 723 31 11 Flight information: Tel (0)900 70 

000 (7 a.m. - 10 p.m.) www.brusselsairport.be 

Services at Brussels Airport Timetable at Brussels Airport (complete) 

How to reach the city-centre from Brusels Airport: 

STIB Airport line A bus assures connection between the Centre and Brussels National 

Airport Info: Tel (0)70 23 2000 B 12 (express bus) Centre to Airport : rue Ducale, 

Luxembourg, Rond Point Schuman, Evere, Airport First departure: 5 a.m. ; last departure: 

11 p.m. (September to June: 12 p.m.) ; every 30 minutes 

A SPECIAL TRAIN: It assures connections between the city and the airport. The journey 

lasts about 30 minutes. Info: Tel (0)2 753 24 40 or (0)2 528 28 28 

City - Airport: 

North Station: Frequent connections; first train: 4.53 am; last train: 11.21 pm 

Central Station: Frequent connections: first train: 4.48 am; last train: 11.16 pm 

South Station Frequent connections: - first train: 4.44 am - last train: 11.12 pm 

Airport - City All trains stop at the North Station, Central Station and South Station. 


Frequent connections; first train: 5.32 a.m. - last train: 0.20 a.m. Tickets are on 

sale in the stations (it is also possible to buy a ticket in the train, but there is a 

considerable price supplement). 4,30€ (1st class); 2,60 € (2nd class). 

Brussels South Airport (Charleroi) 

Situated to the south of Brussels, approximately 60 km away, Brussels-South 

Charleroi airport mainly houses low- cost airlines. http://www.charleroiairport.com/ 

How to get to the centre of Brussels 

By bus A bus links Charleroi Brussels-South and the Gare du Midi railway 

station in Brussels more than 20 times a day. The timetables are organised to 

coincide with Ryanair airline flights. Brussels to Charleroi: The shuttle departure 

point is situated at the junction of rue de France and rue de l'Instruction (follow 

"Thalys" exit at the Gare du Midi station). Charleroi to Brussels: shuttle departs 

30 minutes after the Ryanair airline flight arrives at the airport. One-way ticket 

fare: 13.00 € (tickets are sold inside the shuttle) 

By train 

A bus route (route A) permanently links the Charleroi Brussels-South airport with 

Charleroi railway station. You can then take the train very easily to Brussels. 

(Combined ticket 10.00 € ) 

By taxi 

The set price linking Brussels to Charleroi airport is 85.00 € 

By car 

It takes around 45 minutes to drive from the airport to the centre of Brussels by 

car via the A54. 

Carpooling 

Feel like a holiday Do you want to travel through Europe at a lower cost 

Eurostop is a platform of cheap carpool offers for journeys all over Europe. More 

info on www.eurostop.be 

Public transports 

Most public transport in the Brussels-Capital Region is organized by the STIB 

(Société des Transports intercommunaux bruxellois). The network includes 

metro lines which connect the eastern and western districts. Pre-metro lines 

(trams in the tunnels) complete the metro service. A great many metro lines also have above 

ground bus and tram connections. Timetables: 6 a.m. - midnight - consult the timetables 

shown at the stops. Check STIB's website Maps of the network are available free of charge 

Villo: Rent a bike everywhere in the city — www.villo.be 

On foot: Quartier Louise - Grand-Place : 15 minutes Grand-Place - European district : 25 

minutes Marolles - Grand-Place : 10 minutes Grand-Place - Sablon : 10 minutes 

Taxis: Three elements make up the price of a taxi ride: the price per km (1,66 € or 2,70 € 

depending on whether the journey is inside or outside the 19 districts of Brussels); fixed 

charge: 2,40 € (4,40 € at night) ; the waiting time: 30,00 € per hour; certain companies 

charge reduced fares for journeys to the airport. Tips and service are included in the price of 

the journey as shown on the meter, but a small extra tip is always well- received. For all 

complaints, first of all note the registration number of the taxi, its make and colour. Brussels 

Taxi Companies: Autolux : Tel. (0)2 411 41 42 Taxis Bleus : Tel. (0)2 268 00 00 Taxis 

Orange : Tel. (0)2 349 43 43 Taxis Verts : Tel. (0)2 349 49 49 



BELGIAN BEER WEEKEND In the days when Brussels did its own thing, every village 

around the city had its own brewery and, although there aren’t as many of them today, 

the masters of the brewer’s oar still form a respected brotherhood. And to celebrate this 

brewing tradition with the pomp and ceremony worthy of the occasion, the lagers, the 

white beers, the amber ones, the fruity ones and the strong beers, all these daughters of 

the hop parade on the Grand-Place for a weekend of (preferably sensible) enjoyment. – 

From Friday, September 5, 2014 to Sunday, September 7, 2014; Grand-Place, Brussels 

BRUSSELS DESIGN MARKET Founded in 2002, the Brussels Design Market is a flea 

market exclusively dedicated to design and, in particular, to output ranging from the 

fifties to the early eighties. A hundred or so exhibitors, from the trade and amateurs and 

from all over Europe display furniture and objects in a relaxed spirit of a big secondhand 

market. Two weekends in April and September; Tour&Taxis, Havenlaan 86C, 

Brussels

BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL The organisers 

of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival definitely have an eye for 

tracking down cinematographic nuggets of horror, science fiction and thrillers 

of all kinds. Far removed from Internet piracy and illicit copies, the BIFFF is 

an oasis of good films which get your adrenalin pumping. The program 

includes: a body- painting and fantasy make-up competition, a manga 

market, a zombie parade and a vampires’ball. We’re not scared at all... 

honest! Two weeks in April; Ravensteinstraat 23 1000 Brussel 

BRUSSELS SUMMER FESTIVAL When Manneken-Pis picks up his guitar, 

everyone starts rocking’n’rolling in Brussels during the BSF! This one-of-akind 

festival takes over the city, which has a great time in all kinds of ways 

and at great prices. A giant stage beneath the windows of the Royal Palace 

and another at Mont des Arts as well as more than 30 indoor concerts and 

after-parties. From Friday, August 8, 2014 to Sunday, August 17, 2014; 

different locations 

COMIC STRIP FESTIVAL As centre of the 9th art, Brussels decided to 

celebrate it and, so, every year, lays on a wonderful feast and has a great 

time with its favourite heroes. Markets, tours, a parade: on the walls or in 3D 

in the sky when they’re infl ated with helium, the characters descend on the 

city. And to end on a high note: a gigantic sound and light show which turns 

Place Royale into a comic strip panel for one fantastic evening. Highly 

recommended to children from 7 to 77. From Friday, September 5, 2014 to 

Sunday, September 7, 2014; various locations 

COULEUR CAFÉ A colourfully mixed, altruistic, tropical and spicy festival! A 

cocktail of music from here and elsewhere with more than 50 concerts in 3 

marquees. Couleur Café is, above all, a gigantic fiesta with all the brass 

bands, dance competitions, creative workshops, themed exhibitions, souks, 

restaurants and exotic cocktails you could wish for. A multicultural and off - 

the-wall ambience, just like Brussels itself. We’ll “zouk” until the morning. 

Every last weekend of June; Tour&Taxis, Havenlaan 86C, Brussels 

DESIGN SEPTEMBER This platform for Belgian and foreign designers to meet up 

generates a hundred or so events around the world of design. Accessories, furniture, 

cars, graphic design and architecture, this industrial art concerns nearly every field and 

is of interest to a wide public. Plenty to please with visits to workshops, city walks and 

flea markets. Every September; various locations 

BRUSSELS BEACH Brussels Beach (Bruxelles les Bains) opens its urban beach from 4 

July to 10 August 2014, from Tuesday till Sunday, at the Quai des Péniches near the 

Place Sainctelette. There will be lots of events and activities for young and old. The 

programme will be announced shortly. 

LES NUITS BOTANIQUE A unique location, au coeur de Bruxelles, with a line-up to die 

for! A festival that makes discovering and reinforcing musical careers its top priority. 

Want a proof Take a look at the eclectic line-up, open to all the new trends with quality! 

Every year there is one ‘Nuit Belge’ focusing on the hottest Belgian bands in town. Last 

two weeks of May; Botanique and other venues, Brussels 

NATIONAL STORE Your Pop-Up Vitrine On Belgian Talent: Fashion, Design, Cinema, 

Music, Publishing, Visual Arts, Dance & Gastronomy. 25% Internationally renowned 

Belgian talents presenting their selection of 75% up-and-coming & inspiring Belgian 

talents. Every year, the Nationa(a)l Store wants to offer a selection of the highest quality 

and most inspiring creations from the country. Two weeks in May (9-25 May 2014); 

changing venues, the 2014 edition will take place in the former Solvay library, 44, Prince 

Albert Street, Ixelles (Brussels) 

USE-IT Get the free map : http://www.use-it.be/brussels/ 

Useful Links 

http://www.brussels.be — Official Website of the city of Brussels 

http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/6820 — Website with general information and the 

management plan for the Grand-Place 

http://www.brussels.be/artdet.cfm/4664 — Webcam with live footage of the Grand-Place 

http://visitbrussels.be — Communication agency for tourism in Brussels

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Sleep well youth hostel 

Rue du Damier, 23 

Dambordstraat, 23, 1000 


+ 32 2 218 50 5o 

info@sleepwell.be 

www.sleepwell.be 

Gite Auberge Jacques Brel 

Rue de la Sablonnière 30/Zavelput 30 

1000 - Bruxelles / Brussel 

+ 32 2 218 01 87 

brussels.brel@laj.be 

www.gitesdetape.be 

Brussels Hostels 

Jeugdherberg Bruegel 

Rue Saint-Esprit 2 

Heilige Geeststraat 2 1000 

Bruxelles - Brussel 

+32 2 511 04 36 

brussel@vjh.be 

www.jeugdherbergen.be 

Auberge des 3 fontaines 

Chausée de Wavre 2057 

Waversesteenweg 2057, 1160 


+ 32 (0)2 663 24 32 

contact@auberge3fontaines.be 

www.auberge3fontaines.be 

Auberge generation Europe 

Rue de l'Eléphant 4 / Olifantstraat 4 

1000 Bruxelles / Brussel 

+ 32 2 410 38 58 

brussels.europe@laj.be 

www.lesaubergesdejeunesse.be 

Vincent Van Gogh (CHAB) 

Rue Traversière 8 / Dwarsstraat 8, 

1210 - Bruxelles / Brussel 

+ 32 2 217 01 58 

info@chab.be - www.chab.be

Netherlands, 

Amsterdam 

Seventeenth- 

Century Canal 

Ring Area 

of Amsterdam 

inside the 

Singelgracht 

The historic urban ensemble of the canal district of Amsterdam was a project for a 

new ‘port city’ built at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries. It 

comprises a network of canals to the west and south of the historic old town and the 

medieval port that encircled the old town and was accompanied by the repositioning 

inland of the city’s fortified boundaries, the Singelgracht. This was a long-term 

programme that involved extending the city by draining the swampland, using a system 

of canals in concentric arcs and filling in the intermediate spaces. These spaces allowed 

the development of a homogeneous urban ensemble including gabled houses and 

numerous monuments. This urban extension was the largest and most homogeneous of its 

time. It was a model of large-scale town planning, and served as a reference throughout the 

world until the 19th century. In the 13th century Amsterdam was a small fishing village on the 

banks of the Amstel River and its mouth on the IJ, an arm of the Zuiderzee inlet. The name 

comes from the combination of Amstel and Dam, the latter word indicating a dyke or dam built 

to hold back the sea. This earth levee was also used to carry traffic and was extended by a 

bridge over the Amstel, made toll-free by a decision of the Count of Holland, Floris V. Amsterdam 

was proclaimed a city in 1306, and by the end of the Middle Ages it had become an important 

centre for maritime trade in northern Holland as its port developed on the river mouth. It mainly 

traded with the Hanseatic League, which it joined in 1369; but it was Antwerp that still dominated 

the maritime trade of The Netherlands and the North Sea.

Protected behind its dyke, the city grew around the port and Damplein, but the 

marshy soil had first to be drained and many houses built on piles. At that time it 

was restricted inside an initial semi-circular canal, the Singel, designed both for 

drainage and for military defence. In 1452 a fire destroyed almost all the city's 

timber-framed buildings, and brick became the most common material for 

rebuilding the city. The city built fortifications along the Singel at the end of the 

15th century. The Netherlands passed under Spanish rule in 1515 with the 

accession of Charles V. The country rose in revolt in the 16th century in defence 

of public freedom and religious tolerance, since much of the population had 

espoused the Reformation. After a period of wars and compromises, the seven 

provinces of the northern Netherlands formed the independent United Provinces 

in 1581. This situation attracted rich Jewish families, Antwerp traders, and 

French Huguenots in particular to Amsterdam, the largest city in this relatively 

dispersed federation without any prince regent. It became a land of refuge and 

of free-thinking. For two decades the military situation, the naval in particular, 

with Spain remained tense; there were many conflicts, but maritime trade and 

warehousing activities developed quickly. The Dutch East India Company (VOC, 

1602) and the Dutch West India Company (WIC, 1621) were created to trade 

with the Indian Ocean and the Americas respectively. The 17th century was a 

particularly flourishing period for the United Provinces, whose sovereignty, 

economic importance, and cultural uniqueness were fully recognised by the 

Treaty of Westphalia (1648). At the end of the 16th century, Amsterdam 

developed very rapidly and the port-city soon ran out of space within the 

medieval confines of the Singel. A vast project, for defence and urban growth, 

was carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries. The new line of defence based 

on a new boundary canal, the Singelgracht, designed by Daniel Stalpaert, 

extended the city outwards by around 800m. The Singel was then transformed 

into an inland port (1601-1603). The positioning between the latter and the 

Singelgracht opened up space for a new urban area that still had to be drained 

and backfilled. The project, conceived by Hendrick Jacobszoon Staets, led to 

the construction of a new port and trading city, built along a network of three 

new main canals which made it possible for trading vessels to dock. They were 

in the form of a series of concentric arcs, parallel to the Singel and adopting the 

same hydraulic morphology. They were dug simultaneously starting from the IJ, 

towards the south. The two first sections took the work as far as the 

Leidsegracht radial canal, allowing backfilling and building to begin; the third 

section extended the work to the Amstel around 1620. Following exactly the 

same principles, a fourth section was undertaken beyond the river towards the 

'eastern islands' in the mid-17th century. 

However, regular planning following the annular canals stopped at the outermost edge of the 

three, the Prinsengracht. In its western section, between it and the new Singelgracht 

defence line, the Jordaan district followed the old plot boundaries of the gardens after which 

it is named, breaking with the rectilinear pattern of the initial plans. This district, which was 

originally more working class and inhabited by immigrants, is the only part of the nominated 

property at its urban boundary with the Prinsengracht Canal. 

This planned extension of Amsterdam is the work of the mercantile middle class that ran the 

city. It managed the projects financially, supervised the drafting of the plans, coordinated the 

work, issued building regulations, and supervised their application. In meeting the needs of 

trade, practical functionality and hydraulic and military safety were the driving forces for the 

project. The general rise in wealth of the city and its inhabitants in the 17th century made it 

possible for this ambitious urban and port extension to be completed in accordance with the 

initial project. 

Amsterdam's growth made it one of the great European capitals, and its port became the 

most important for international maritime trade. In 1685 the city's per capita income was 

four times that of Paris, allowing the quantity and quality of the real-estate development 

along the canals throughout the century. Amsterdam continued to develop its tradition as a 

mercantile, middle-class, humanist, and tolerant city. It continued to welcome 

immigrants, notably the French Huguenots after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and 

more generally the free-thinkers of Europe. In this way, it enriched its economic and artistic 

elite, but also its expertise with the arrival of highly skilled craftsmen. At that time Amsterdam 

was one of the cultural capitals of Europe and among the most brilliant and most dynamic, 

notable for its printers, whose products were sold throughout the world. 

The orderly growth of the city's new districts along its canals became a reference urban 

model, an image of the ideal city that would be adopted and repeated right across 18th 

century Europe. The example of this city, enriched by its maritime trade, defended by its 

canals, dykes, and locks, and never flooded throughout its entire history, attracted the 

attention of all the great European builders of the day. It directly influenced civil engineering 

and town planning in England, Sweden, and Russia, where Peter the Great recruited its 

craftsmen and engineers to create Saint Petersburg, in similar swampy land on the banks of 

an estuary. The end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century saw the 

prosperity of the city and its port decline. Wars against France and England undermined its 

maritime trade. The renewal of the port would come in the 19th century as a result of the 

creation of canals - the North Holland canal in 1825, followed by the direct connection with 

the North Sea in 1876. Its traffic is still, however, less than that of Rotterdam, close to the 

mouths of the Rhine and the Meuse. 


A trend towards converting the warehouses into apartments began in the 18th 

century and gathered pace as time passed, in response to the growing urban 

population, and then to the city's role as a capital demanding greater services. 

In the 19th and early 20th centuries office buildings were erected, in harmony 

with the old context in terms of scale, architecture, and materials. However, the 

arrival of the railway and the central station on the banks of the IJ cut the city off 

from its direct contact with the inlet. 

In the 20th century Amsterdam became an important administrative and 

financial centre. It shares the role of political capital of the Kingdom of The 

Netherlands with The Hague. In World War II around 100,000 Amsterdam Jews 

were deported, the majority of whom lived in the canal districts. The material 

damage caused by the war was relatively minor. 

Retail shops and growing tourism are reflected in the city's changes in the 

second half of the 20th century. 


Amsterdam is a world-class international transport hub so are countless the 

ways of getting into the city. Many travellers fly into the award-winning 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, but also the train is a great option – convenient 

and cost effective, the rail network in the Netherlands is second to none. The 

road network provides easy access to Amsterdam for those keen to travel by 

car or coach. 

Amsterdam by car. Each year, about one million visitors arrive in Amsterdam by car. While 

the city is very hospitable to drivers, the inner city is quite an enclosed area. Before arriving, 

it is advisable to learn about the city's motorways, roads and parking options in order to 

make the most of your trip. 

Amsterdam by boat. Amsterdam is a major hub for transport and travel and still continues 

to receive millions of visitors each year who arrive by boat. Considering that the Dutch have 

been a sea-faring nation for centuries, this is quite an appropriate gateway to the city. 

Whether you're disembarking from a cruise ship or private sail boat, find out how to best 

reach the city from the water. 



Amsterdam is home to many of the world's most famous museums. No trip to the city is 

complete without (at least) a visit to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum 

or Anne Frank House. 

The city also has a multitude of treasures outside of the Museum District. From unusual 

museums about cats to an amazing collection of handbags, plus photography, archaeology 

and more, Amsterdam has museums and galleries to suit every type of interest. Check out I 

amsterdam’s selection of current exhibitions, museums and galleries below. 

Amsterdam by plane. Amsterdam is very easy to reach by plane, train, car or 

even boat. Here's a selection of up-to-date information and useful tips to make 

your journey as easy as possible, no matter which mode of transportation you 

choose. 

Amsterdam by train. If arriving in Amsterdam by train, it's likely that your 

journey will terminate at Amsterdam Central Station. From there it is simple to 

complete your journey with public transport or taxi. If you are travelling from 

another station in the Netherlands, it's possible that you can choose another 

Amsterdam train station nearer your accommodation.

Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Aalsmeerderweg 281a 

1432 CN AALSMEER 

0297 322 639 

Avvie B&Bs Amsterdam 

Kloveniersburgwal 55 

1011 JX AMSTERDAM 

Bed & Breakfast den Boer 

Stationsweg 7 

1471 CL KWADIJK 

0299 621 212 

Amsterdam 

Bed & Breakfast Fort Amsterdam 

Geldersekade 70 

1012 BK AMSTERDAM 

06 20710332 

info@fortamsterdam.com 

www.fortamsterdam.com 

Amsterdam CityMundo 

Schinkelkade 47 

1075 VK AMSTERDAM 

020 470 5705 

amsterdam@citymundo.com 

amsterdam.citymundo.com 

B & B De Bedstede 

Laan 26 

1151 AB BROEK IN WATERLAND 

020 403 1509 bedstede@hotmail.com 

www.bedstede.nl

Small Towns Gems…

Open the door to 

a timeless world 

 

 


Small towns Gems 

itinerary

Historic Cénter of 

Evora 

This museum-city, whose roots go back to Roman times, reached its golden age in the 15th century, 

when it became the residence of the Portuguese kings. Its unique quality stems from the whitewashed 

houses decorated with azulejos and wrought-iron balconies dating from the 16th to the 18th century. Its 

monuments had a profound influence on Portuguese architecture in Brazil. 

Évora is the finest example of a city of the golden age of Portugal after the destruction of Lisbon by the 

earthquake of 1755. The cityscape of Évora demonstrates the influence exerted by Portuguese architecture 

in Brazil, in sites such as Salvador de Bahia. 

It is the capital of Alentejo Province and one of the tourist attractions of the south. In spite of sharp population 

growth which has led to the construction of new quarters to the west, south and east, this museum city has 

retained all of its traditional charm inside the Vauban-style wall built in the 17th century according to the plans of 

Nicolas de Langres, a French engineer. The rural landscape to the north has remained virtually unchanged. 

Évora has been shaped by some 20 centuries of history, going as far back as Celtic times. It fell under Roman 

domination, when it was called Liberalitas Julia and, among other ruins, still retains those of the Temple of Diana. 

During the Visigothic period, the Christian city occupied the surface area surrounded by the Roman wall, which was 

then reworked. Under Moorish domination, which came to an end in 1165, further improvements were made to the 

original defensive system as shown by a fortified gate and the remains of the ancient Kasbah. Moreover, the toponymy is 

indicative of the Maghreb population, which remained after the reconquest in the La Mouraria quarter of the north-east. 

Portugal, 

Evora

There are a number of buildings 

from the medieval period, the 

b e s t k n o w n o f w h i c h i s 

unquestionably the cathedral, 

begun in 1186 and essentially 

completed in the 13th-14th 

centuries. It was in the 15th 

century, however, when the 

Portuguese kings began living 

there on an increasingly regular 

basis, that Évora 's golden age 

began. At that time, convents 

and royal palaces sprang up 

everywhere: St Claire Convent, 

the royal church and convent of 

São Francisco, not far from the 

royal palace of the same name, 

Os Lóios Convent with the São 

João Evangelista Church. These 

splendid monuments, which 

were either entirely new buildings 

or else constructed within 

already existing establishments, 

a re c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e 

Manueline style which survived in 

the major creations of the 16th 

century: Palace of the Counts of 

Basto, built on the site of the 

Alcazar, and the Church of the 

Knights of Calatrava, the 

convents of Carmo and da 

Graça, Santo Antão, Santa 

Helena do Monte Calvario, etc. 

The 16th century was a time of 

m a j o r u r b a n p l a n n i n g a s 

demonstrated by the ancient 

style: Agua da Prata aqueduct 

built in 1537 by Francisco de 

Arruda and the many fountains that remain 

(la Praça do Geraldo is the best known). It 

also marked the beginning of Évora's 

intellectual and religious influence. The 

University of the Holy Spirit, where the 

Jesuits taught from 1553, played a role in the 

south which was comparable to that of 

Coimbra in the north of the kingdom. 

Moreover, Évora began a rapid decline 

following the expulsion of the Company of 

Jesus by the Minister, Pombal, in 1759. 

Évora is also interesting for reasons other 

than its monumental heritage related to 

significant historic events and royal orders. 

This interest also goes beyond the many 

16th-century patrician houses (Cordovil 

house, the house of Garcia de Resende). In 

fact, the unique quality of the city arises from 

the coherence of the minor architecture of 

the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, which 

finds its overall expression in the form of 

myriad low whitewashed houses, covered 

with tile roofs or of terraces which line narrow 

streets whose layout is of medieval 

configuration in the old city centre and which 

in other areas bears witness to the 

concentric growth of the town until the 17th 

century. 

Wrought iron and azulejo decoration, which 

is splendid in the convents and palaces and 

very charming in the most humble dwellings, 

serves to strengthen the fundamental unity of 

a type of architecture which is perfectly 

adapted to the climate and the site. 


People with their own transport will have no 

difficulty in moving around and orientating 

themselves within the Alentejo. Cyclists 

should be aware that there are no cycle lanes 

or tracks except for small sections close to 

urban centres. There is a good network of 

roads, with rapid transit along the principal 

routes: motorways (signalled by "A”) and 

main roads (signalled by "IP”). If you use the 

motorways you will need to pay tolls. Once 

you are in the Region, you should choose to 

travel by secondary and "municipal” roads. 

The latter are the best, since they are simply 

the oldest asphalted routes through the 

countryside and carry little traffic, thus 

offering the best means of enjoying the 

landscape, of getting to know traditional 

ways of living and working, of coming across 

the most hidden cultural heritage and of 

making contact with a people who are 

naturally courteous and welcoming. When 

planning to travel by public transport, you 

should note that the timetables are designed 

to cater for residents and are not always best 

suited for the purposes of tourist travel. 

Information: www.rede-expresso.pt; 

www.cp.pt; www.rodalentejo.pt There are 

taxi services in almost every locality. 

And the nearby 

Other outstanding 


Castelo de Portel 38.3092346,-7.7025962 

Portel 

Castelo de Arraiolos 

38.7251968,-7.9878759 Arraiolos 


38.837189,-7.585819 

Igreja do Convento dos Congregados Rossio 

Marquês de Pombal 


Castelo de Terena 38.6211967,-7.4070601 

Terena 

Rocha dos Namorados 

38.445522,-7.475739 

Situa-se a 6 Kms a NE de Reguengos de 

Monsaraz, 500 metros além da povoação de 

São Pedro do Corval, a Norte da estrada que 

liga esta povoação da vila de Monsaraz. 

Useful Links 

www.monumentos.pt/Site/APP_PagesUser/ 

Default.aspx Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e 

Monumentos Nacionais; http://www.cmevora.pt/ 

— Câmara municipal de Évora 


Nice, 

comfortable 

...why not 

Monte da Serralheira 

38.533561,-7.908267 


Estrada do Bairro de Almeirim 

7005-797 ÉVORA - Évora 

Monte do Chora Cascas 

38.632797,-8.245936 

Apartado 296 

7050-013 MONTEMOR-O-NOVO 

Montemor-O-Novo 


38.533561,-7.908267 


Estrada do Bairro de Almeirim 


Evora 

Ecork Hotel 

Suites & Spa 

38.5525, -7.969722 

Évora 

Imani Country House 

38.569257, -8.041501 

Quinta do Montemuro – Guadalupe 


Albergaria Vitória 

38.56421,-7.91232 

Rua Diana de Lis 5 


Herdade dos Coelheiros 

Sociedade Agricola, S.A 

38.729382, -7.878851 

Monte dos Coelheiros 

7040-202 IGREJINHA - 

Arraiolos 

Évora Hotel 

38.563611,-7.933056 

Av. Túlio Espanca Ap 93 

7002-502 ÉVORA - Évora

Garrison Border Town 

of Elvas and its 

Fortifications 

The site, extensively fortified from the 17th to 19th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dryditch 

system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as 

well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its 

fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch 

Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications 

anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand 

lengthy sieges. 

Guarding the key border crossing between Portugal’s capital Lisbon and Spain’s capital Madrid, in an 

undulating, riverine landscape, the Garrison Town of Elvas was fortified extensively from the 17th to the 19th 

centuries to become the largest bulwarked dry ditch system in the world, with outlying forts built on surrounding 

hills to accommodate the changing needs of defensive warfare. The town was supplied with water by the 7kmlong 

Amoreira Aqueduct, built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries and a key feature enabling the stronghold to 

withstand a lengthy siege. Within the walls, the town contains extensive barracks and other military buildings, as 

well as churches and monasteries, some adapted to military functions. The property includes seven components: 

the Historic Centre, the Amoreira Aqueduct, the Fort of Santa Luzia, and the covered way linking it to the Historic 

Centre, the Fort of Graça, and the Fortlets of São Mamede, São Pedro and São Domingos. 

The historic centre with its castle, remnant walls and civil and religious buildings demonstrate the development of Elvas 

as three successive walled towns from the 10th to the 14th century and its subsequent incorporation into the major 

fortification works of the Portuguese War of the Restoration period (1641-68), when a wide range of military buildings were 

built for its role as a garrison town. 

Portugal, 

Elvas

The bulwarked fortifications of 

the town and the outlying Fort of 

Santa Luzia and Graça and 

fortlets of São Mamede, São 

Pedro and São Domingos reflect 

the evolution of the Dutch 

system of fortification into an 

outstanding dry-ditch defence 

system. 

These surviving fortifications 

were begun in 1643 and 

comprise twelve forts inserted in 

an irregular polygon, roughly 

centred on the castle and 

making use of a landscape of 

hills. The bulwarks are battered, 

surrounded by a dry ditch and 

c o u n t e r s c a r p a n d f u r t h e r 

protected by a number of 

ravelins. 

The fortifications were designed 

by the Dutch Jesuit Cosmander, 

b a s e d o n t h e t re a t i e s o f 

fortification engineer Samuel 

Marolois, whose work together 

with that of Simon Stevin and 

Adam Fritach launched the 

Dutch school of fortification 

worldwide. Cosmander applied 

the geometric theory of Marolois 

to the irregular topography of 

Elvas, to produce a defensive 

s y s t e m c o n s i d e r e d a 

masterpiece of its time. 

longer-range artillery, as well as four fortlets 

to the west. As the remains of an enormous 

war fortress, Elvas is exceptional as a military 

landscape with visual and functional 

relationships between its fortifications, 

representing developments in military 

architecture and technology drawn from 

Dutch, Italian, French and English military 

theory and practice. 

Elvas is an outstanding demonstration of 

Portugal’s desire for land and autonomy, and 

the universal aspirations of European nation 

States in the 16th-17th centuries. 


People with their own transport will have no 

difficulty in moving around and orientating 

themselves within the Alentejo. Cyclists 

should be aware that there are no cycle lanes 

or tracks except for small sections close to 

urban centres. 

There is a good network of roads, with rapid 

transit along the principal routes: motorways 

(signalled by "A”) and main roads (signalled 

by "IP”). If you use the motorways you will 

need to pay tolls. 

Once you are in the Region, you should 

choose to travel by secondary and 

"municipal” roads. 

offering the best means of enjoying the 

landscape, of getting to know traditional 

ways of living and working, of coming across 

the most hidden cultural heritage and of 

making contact with a people who are 

naturally courteous and welcoming. 

When planning to travel by public transport, 

you should note that the timetables are 

designed to cater for residents and are not 

always best suited for the purposes of tourist 

travel. Information: www.rede-expresso.pt; 

www.cp.pt; www.rodalentejo.pt 

There are taxi services in almost every 

locality. 




Museu de (A) Brincar de Arronches 

39.1234474,-7.2825732 

Largo da Restauração 

7340-006 ARRONCHES - Arronches 


38.837189,-7.585819 

Igreja do Convento dos Congregados Rossio 

Marquês de Pombal 


Useful Links 

www.monumentos.pt/Site/APP_PagesUser/ 

Default.aspx — Direcção Geral dos Edifícios 

e Monumentos Nacionais ; http://www.cmevora.pt/ 

— Câmara municipal de Évora 

In the 18th century the Fort of 

Graça was constructed in 

response to the development of 

The latter are the best, since they are simply 

the oldest asphalted routes through the 

countryside and carry little traffic, thus 


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Torre de Palma Wine Hotel 

Herdade de Torre de Palma 

7450-250 Monforte - Monforte 

T +351 245038890 

reservas@torredepalma.com 

www.torredepalma.com 

Hotel Santa Beatriz 

Av. dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra 

7370-075 CAMPO MAIOR - Campo Maior 

T +351 268680040 | F +351 268688109 

hotel.s.beatriz@mail.telepac.pt 

www.guianet.pt/hotelsantabeatriz 

Monte Branco 

Herdade do Monte Branco 

Rio de Moinhos, 7150 BORBA - Borba 

T +351 214830834 +351 962988099 

montebranco@gmail.com 

herdademontebranco@gmail.com 

Elvas 

Casa de Borba 

Rua da Cruz, 5 Ap 46 

7150-125 BORBA - Borba 

T +351 268894528 | F +351 268841448 

casadeborba@hotmail.com 

www.casadeborba.com 

Alentejo Marmoris Hotel & Spa 

Largo Gago Coutinho 

7160 Vila Viçosa - Vila Viçosa 

T +351 268887010 / 964 512 761 

E-mail: info@alentejomarmoris.com 

www.alentejomarmoris.com 

Água d'Alte 

Herdade de Água d'Alte 

Aldeia da Serra, 14 

7170-120 REDONDO - Redondo 

T +351 266989170 / 961695637 

F +351 266989179 www.aguadalte.com 

herdade@aguadalte.com 

Herdade da Barbosa 

Estrada Nacional 504 

Estremoz / Sotileira - São Bento do Cortiço 


T +351 268324510 +351 966305900 

F +351 268333675 E-mail: 

herdadedabarbosa@gmail.com 

www.herdadedabarbosa.blogspot.com 

Pousada de Estremoz 

Largo de D. Diniz 


T +351 268332075 | F +351 268332079 

guest@pousadas.pt 

www.pousadas.pt

Historic Centre of 

Guimarães 

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity 

in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a 

medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development 

of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional 

building materials and techniques. The early history of Guimarães is closely associated with the 

establishment of Portuguese national identity and the Portuguese language in the 12th century. Guimarães 

is of considerable significance by virtue of the fact that specialized building techniques developed there in 

the Middle Ages were transmitted to Portuguese colonies in Africa and the New World, becoming their 

characteristic feature. It is an exceptionally well-preserved town illustrating the evolution of particular building 

types from the medieval settlement to the present-day city, and particularly in the 15th-19th centuries. 

Guimarães dominates the fertile plain that extends towards the sea. It is situated on the most important 

medieval communication routes connecting Monçao and Braga with Viseu and Caminha, the seat of the 

Portuguese Counts from the 10th century. This urban settlement developed as a result of two forces, a monastery 

in the south valley, and a fort on the north hill, surrounded by two rivers, until they were brought together within a 

single enclosure. The historic centre is formed by a large number of stone constructions (950-1498). The period from 

Renaissance to neoclassicism is characterized by noble houses and the development of civic facilities, city squares, 

etc. The eclectic and industrial periods and modern expansion (1926 until today) include some changes, although the 

town has maintained its medieval urban layout. The systems and building types have evolved over time. The residential 

buildings are characterized by the use of two construction techniques, one dating from before the 16th century (taipa de 

rodízio ), a half-timbered structure, which mixed granite with a structure in timber and a filling of sun-dried brick, using clay 

mortar. The other (taipa de fasquio ), which came into use in the 19th century and is still practised today, was entirely in 

timber. From here this technology was exported to other parts of the world. 

Portugal, 

Guimarães

The monuments include the 

medieval castle, built on the site 

of the first fort of the 10th 

c e n t u r y . T h e p r e s e n t 

construction was built from 

stone, begun at the time of 

Afonso I and continued with 

various modifications in the 

following centuries. The building 

i s a n a u s t e re c re n e l l a t e d 

structure with towers, designed 

for defence. Part of it was 

demolished in the 18th century 

and since then it has been 

subject to restorations. Close to 

the castle, there is a small 

Romanesque church, São Miguel 

do Castelo, ruined in the 19th 

century and restored in the 

1920s. The church of Nossa 

Senhora da Oliveira was founded 

in the 12th century on the site 

where the first monastery had 

existed some three centuries 

earlier. It was completely 

renovated from 1387 to 1413, 

with three naves and a wooden 

roof structure, according to the 

Portuguese Gothic model. The 

cloister was added in the 16th 

c e n t u r y a n d t h e p r e s e n t 

sanctuary to the church in the 

17th. The Palace of the Dukes of 

Bragança is a large complex built 

from stone down the hill from the 

castle. The first construction 

dates from 1420-22, most 

probably under French influence. 

The building was conceived as a 

symbol of the pride of the 

Bragança family. The building underwent 

various vicissitudes, serving as a military 

headquarters in the late 19th century. The 

Town Hall, in the square in front of the church 

of Nossa Senhora, dates mainly from the 

16th and 17th centuries. The palace, 

primarily in stone, has one main floor with 

large doors opening to a balcony along the 

m a i n f a c a d e . T h e g ro u n d fl o o r i s 

characterized by open arcades. In the same 

square, in front of the church, there is also a 

14th-century Gothic arch, a monument 

commemorating the victory of Dom Afonso 

IV in the battle of Padrão do Salado. The 

bourgeois houses of the 16th century have a 

ground floor in granite and the upper floors 

are built using the half-timbered structure of 

taipa de rodízio . The houses of noble 

families have often been an modification of a 

previous structure, and generally have their 

elevations built from granite as a sign of 

distinction. The typical houses of the 17th 

century continued using the same 

construction technique (granite in the ground 

floor and half-timbered structure in the upper 

floors - usually three). Another type of house 

of the same century was built with a peristyle 

and arcaded ground floor, and is usually 

found in public squares. 


It is possible to reach Guimarães using a 

variety of forms of transportation, including 

the following: 

By plane: the International Airport Francisco 

Sá Carneiro is about 50 km from the city 

center of Guimarães, by car. It's also 

possible to make this connection by metro to 

the city center of Porto and then by train. 

By train: the railway station, located near the 

city center of Guimarães, makes a direct 

connection to the city center of Oporto 

By bus: There are several bus companies 

that connects (directly or not) Guimarães to 

any point in Portugal. 

By car: From the current network of 

motorways, Guimarães arrives at the Porto in 

about 30 minutes (through A3 and A7), 

Braga 15 minutes (A11), Vigo (Spain) in 90 

minutes (A3 and A7) and Lisbon 180 minutes 

(A3, A7 and A1). There are companies 

offering rent a car in Guimaraes and Porto. 

Within the historical center of Guimarães, 

tourists and visitors can easily get around on 

foot. For longer trips within the municipality of 

Guimarães, it is possible to travel by car or 

bus using the Transurbanos Guimaraes 

(TUG). 




Alberto Sampaio Museum, Vila Flor Palace 

and Cultural Center Cultural; Arts and 

Creativity Platform; Martins Sarmento 

Archaeological Museum; Center for Art and 

Architecture Affairs (Centro para os 

Assuntos da Arte e da Arquitectura); Paço 

dos Duques de Bragança (Room José de 

Guimarães); Laboratory of Arts; Convent 

S a n t o A n t ó n i o d o s C a p u c h o s 

(Museological Route); Archaeological 

Nucleus of the Guimarães’ Commercial and 

Industrial Association. 

Most important regular events. 

Throughout the year it take place across in 

Guimaraes (noth in the city and in the rural 

parishes) several parties, festivals and 

other events rooted in popular and religious 

tradition. However, in Guimarães the 

flagship popular events are surely the 

Gualterianas City Festivities (happen on the 

first weekend of August) and the Nicolinas 

or Students Festivities (happen on the night 

of 29 November). It is also important to 

highlight the Joanina Fair (it happens at the 

end of September), a historical recreation 

of a Market of the times of King D. John I 

(1357-1457) in which participates various 

cultural associations Guimarães. Among 

the many cultural events that take place 

regularly in Guimarães, we highlight the 

following festivals: Guimarães Jazz; 

Festivals Gil Vicente (dedicated to theater), 

of Guimaraes Music International Meeting 

(dedicated to classical music), Manta 

(dedicated to pop, rock and electronic 

contemporar y music), Guidance - 

International Festival of Contemporary 

Dance. 

Useful Links 

http://www.cm-guimaraes.pt/PageGen.aspx 

Official Website of Guimarães Municipality 

www.guimaraesturismo.comOfficial Website 

o f G u i m a r ã e s To u r i s m D e p a r t m e n t 

www.unesco.pt Official Website of the 

Portuguese UNESCO (currently suspended) 

www.culturanorte.pt/ Official Website of the 

Directorate of Culture for the Northern 

Region www.portoenorte.pt Official Website 

of the Regional Entity for Tourism in Oporto 

and Northern Portugal 


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• Villa Hotel Guimarães (****) 

• Hotel Penha (**) 

• Guimarães Hotel (****) 

• Hotel Founder (***) 

• Hotel D. John IV (**) 

• Hotel Ibis Guimarães (**) 

• Hotel Villa Marita (**) 

• Hotel Mestre de Avis (** 

• Mamede Hotel (*) 

• Hotel Golden Tulip (****) 

• Hotel das Taipas (***) 

Hotels 

+ 

• Hostel Palmeiras 

• Youth Hostel in Guimarães 

• Hostel Vimaranes 

• TMHostel 1 and 2 

• Hostel Prime 

• My Hostel 

• Hostel Oficinas de São José 

Hostels 

Local Accommodations 

• Casa dos Cedros 

• Quinta Eira do Sol 

• Quinta do Carvalho 

• Alojamento Local Porta 51 

• Casa da Espinhosa 

• Casa do Arco 

• Alojamento Local F&B 

• 1720 Quinta da Cancela 

• Alojamento Local FA 

• Guest House Vimaranes 

• Guimarães Studios Lounge

The Basilica of St. 

Salvatore 

The basilica of S. Salvatore in Spoleto is an outstanding edifice designed using classical Roman style 

features. San Salvatore is an absolute masterpiece of religious architecture, an unique building from 

both a structural and an aesthetic point of view which is original due to the type and quality of the 

architectural sculpture as well as the reuse of spolia. It bears also witness to an extraordinary use of old 

spolia with new architectural bearings and reliefs in imitation of the old ones and combined in an original 

and unprecedented unicum. That’s why the very uniqueness of the Basilica of San Salvatore had been a 

magnet for great architects and artists since the Renaissance. On the façade and inside, there are re-used 

spolia and sculpted ornament works of medieval craftsmen, realized in a spirit of emulation of classical style. 

The building, which probably had funerary function originally, has a three-aisle basilica floor plan, with presbytery 

divided into three parts, and central vaulted covering with octagonal base. One characteristic element on 

the interior, which has lost almost all of its pictorial and stucco decorations, is the rich entablature with Doric 

frieze set on Doric columns in the nave and Corinthian columns in the presbytery. Of the original rich decorations 

of the façade, alternated by pillars and divided into two orders by a cornice, which must have terminated with a 

triangular fronton, remain the window cornices and three portals with skillfully elaborate classical motifs. The 

Basilica is an early architectural evidence of the Longobard period which expressed the ideologies of the power élites 

and became a model for wide range religious architecture in the Middle Ages. Its sculptural (architectural) apparatus – 

and above all the façade – had been one of the benchmarks for the romanesque style as well as for a number of 

architectural styles of the Renaissance and later centuries. The Longobard building is the original fruit of different trends 

combined: Roman-Hellenistic, Byzantine, Longobard, local. Therefore the Basilica of S. Salvatore was the early 

incarnation of cultural pluralism, which was the hallmark of the Early Middle Ages in all its expressions and would become 

the underlying principle of medieval Europe. From a religious point of view the Basilica is a relevant evidence of the 

Longobards’ conversion to Christianity and the exchange between immigrant power groups and the local religious authority, 

Italy, 

Spoleto

• Via dell’Arringo 

• Via dei Duchi 

How to get 

there 

By plane. 

International Airport "Leonardo 

Da Vinci" Fiumicino Rome 

164Km away from Spoleto 

International Airport "G.B. 

Pastries" Ciampino ( Rome) 


International Airport of Umbria " 

St. Francis of Assisi" - Perugia - 


By car. 

Highway "del Sole" A1: Milan, Florence , 

Rome, Naples. Coming from the North - exit 

Valdichiana. Coming from the South - exit 

Orte. 

Highway " Adriatica " A14 Bologna, Taranto. 

For those coming from the north gate: 

Cesena or Fano or Ancona. For those 

coming from the south exit of San Benedetto 

del Tronto. 

Highway E45 Cesena, Orte (longitudinally 

through the whole of Umbria) 

- Output on the SS 75 towards Assisi 

Information: Umbria Mobility 

Phone +39 0759637001 

www.umbriamobilita.it 

From the main towns and some towns of 

Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia 

Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo, Sicily: 

Information: BALTOUR / SENA / 

EUROLINES Ph. +39 08611991900 - 

www.baltour.it 

From the main towns with some places in 

Puglia: Soc MARINE Srl - Tel 080 31 12 335 

www.marinobus.it, info@marinobus.it. 

• Tempio Romano 

• Fonte di Piazza del Mercato 

• Arco di Druso e Germanico 

• R. B. Fuller (Spoletosphere) 

• Portico della Madonna di Loreto 

• Porta San Matteo 

• Ponte Sanguinario 

• Complesso dell’Anfiteatro Romano 

• Torre dell’Olio 

• Sculture nella città_1962 

Airport "Raffaello Sanzio" 

Falconara (Ancona)143Km away 

from Spoleto. 

Airport "Amerigo Vespucci" 

airport Peretola (Florence) 


By Train. 

• Rome - Ancona 

• Rome - Foligno - Perugia - 

Terontola - Florence 

From the square of the railway 

station (Piazza Polvani) you can 

use the city bus line 

MANAGEMENT CENTER. 

Tickets can be purchased at the 

Bar of the station. State Railways 

www.trenitalia.com 

- Output Acquasparta, then SS 418 

- Exit Terni, then SS 3 

By bus. 

Umbria Mobility. Services local and regional 

bus service navigation sul Trasimeno, 

alternative mobility management (escalators 

and elevators, funicular in Orvieto, Perugia 

minimetrò). Road Saint Lucia 4, Perugia - 

Phone 075 96 37 001 - Fax 075 500 45 30 

www.umbriamobilita.it 

Daily links: from Perugia to Rome, Florence, 

Milan and Naples. Soc. Sulga: Phone +39 

075 500 964 www.sulga.it 

From Rome Cascia: Umbria Mobility. 

Phone 0743 212 208 www.umbriamobilita.it 

info@umbriamobilita.it Perugia - Fano - 

Senigallia. From late June to early September 

(Saturday and Sunday). 




• Palazzo Mauri e mosaico del VI secolo 

• Casa Romana 

• Rocca Albornoziana, Ponte delle Torri 

e Fortilizio dei Molini 

• Palazzo Collicola e le collezioni d’arte 

• Teodelapio 

• Palazzo Ancaiani 

• Palazzo Racani Arroni 

• Palazzo Leti Sansi 

• Palazzo Comunale 

• Villa Redenta 

Most important regular events 

• International Dance Week, 7-12 April 

• Worldwide Wine, 31 May – 2 june 2014 

• Colourful Spoleto, April/May 

• FANTACITY, 4-5-6 April 

• Pianistic festival, May 

• Festival of the 2 Worlds, 27 June /13 

July 

• LA MAMA SPOLETO OPEN, June/July 

Useful Links 

http://www.comunespoleto.gov.it/ 

informazioni-turistiche/ 

• Fontana del Mascherone 


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OSTELLO DI VILLA REDENTA 

Via di Villa Redenta 1 

Ph.: +39 0743 224 936 

F 0743 202 399 

info@villaredenta.com 

www.villaredenta.com 

CENTRO CITTÀ 

Vicolo dei Tintori 16 

Ph.: +39 328 392 604 4 

Mobile: +39 339 869 760 1 

r.scarabottini@virgilio.it 

www.bed-and-breakfast.it 

BELVEDERE ATTIVOLI 

Loc. Colle Attivoli 9 

Ph.: +39 0743 40 296 

belvedere.attivoli@alice.it 

Hotels 

+ 

Bed&Breakfast 

CASALETTO DEGLI OLMI 

Fraz. Uncinano 64 (km 10) 

Mobile: +39 348 641 052 

casalettodegliolmi@gmail.com 

www.casalettodegliolmi.wordpress.com 

L’AURA Piazza Torre dell’Olio 5 

Ph.: +39 0743 44 643 

aura_bedandbreakfast@alice.it 

IL CASINETTO 

Fraz. Bazzano inferiore (km 8) 

Loc. Oriolo, via Bazzanese 

Mobile: +39 349 161 314 7 

info@ilcasinetto.it 

www.ilcasinetto.it 

LA CASA DEGLI ARTISTI 

Piazza Sansi 5; Ph.: +39 0743 221 694 

Mobile: +39 333 699 644 6; @: 

bblacasadegliartisti@gmail.com; 

www.bblacasadegliartisti.it 

LE RONDINELLE, Loc. S. Martino in 

Trignano (km 7,5) V.le Cerquestrette 198 

Ph.: +39 0743 53 253 

lerondinellebb@libero.it 

www.lerondinelle.info 

PETITE MAISON 

Loc. Madonna di Lugo, Via S. Pertini 51 

Ph.: +39 0743 44 479 – 333 110 678 3 

petitemaison@teletu.it 

www.petitemaison.eu 

PICCOLA PARIGI 

Fraz. S. Giacomo (km 8) C.so Flaminio 53 

Ph.: +39 0743 520 306 – 335 430 695 

info@bbpiccolaparigi.it 

www.bbpiccolaparigi.it

Gastaldaga and the 

Episcopal Complex 

From the Baptistery come two of the most important works of Longobard sculpture, currently 

preserved in the Museo Cristiano e Tesoro del Duomo: the Callisto's "Tegurium" - an octagonal 

aedicule which covered the baptismal font - and the Altar commissioned by King Ratchis, the only 

sculptural piece from the Longobard era featuring a biblical narrative theme.The 16th century 

transcription of a diploma of Berengarius i (889-890 or 917-918 A.D.) states that in the place known as 

Valle there was the Gastaldaga, or seat of the gastaldus regis, the administrative officer in charge of the 

fiscal estate and of the possessions of the Longobard King in Cividale and in the Duchy of Friuli. The low 

lying area called Valle – which occupies the south-eastern area of the city, close to the walls, not far from an 

ancient city gate, called porta Brossana – is an area with its own particular atmosphere, overlooking the 

craggy chasm in which the river Natisone flows, in a place which is both impervious and picturesque, capable 

of evoking the prestigious medieval past of this ducal city. Possibly, this area had already assumed a central 

function within the urban structure under the domination of the Goths. This situation conditioned the development 

of monuments in the area around the church of San Giovanni, the city’s most important and oldest religious 

building, second only to the cathedral, and in the area of the a small building known as the Tempietto Longobardo 

(literally, “the little Longobard Temple”), a work of unparalleled splendor dating from the late Longobard period, which 

can be considered a royal building. It is in this context, probably still during the Longobard period, that the Monastery 

of Santa Maria incorporated older buildings, and became the core of a new building complex. Because the Monastery 

was considerably developed during subsequent periods and right up to today, it is not easy to identify the surviving 

traces of the ancient palace settlement. 

Italy, 

Cividale 


After Hjilmar Torp had completed his investigations, remnants of the Early Middle 

Ages Palace of gastaldus were identified in archaeological structures came to light 

within the church of San Giovanni, in a space that connects the cloister to the 

narthex. Here it can be seen that in the rebuilding of this church and the southwestern 

arm of the Monastery, the orientation of the earlier structure was 

respected and adhered to, in both cases. Recent stratigraphic tests of the wall 

construction further confirm that on each occasion when the Monastery complex 

was reorganised over the centuries, the intention was always to respect the older 

building, and to replicate a space that had particular architectural significance 

within the overall arrangement. 

Other elements brought to light during the 2008 archaeological excavations, in a 

small courtyard located between the apse of San Giovanni and the southern 

perimeter of the Tempietto, can be identified as parts of the original layout of the 

valley site. Investigations carried out here in 1962 had previously found evidence 

of the first phase of frequentation of the site as a series of interconnecting 

rectangular rooms, paved in mosaic, that extended below the sacristy of the 

Tempietto. 


Cividale del Friuli is located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and it can be reached with the 

following transportation: 

By car. Taking the highway A23-Udine or taking the State Road 54 (Udine - Cividale) Cividale 

is just 23 km far away from Udine; 30 km from Gorizia and 65 Km from Trieste 

By bus. It is possible to reach Cividale del Friuli with the bus company S.A.F www.saf.ud.it 

By train. Trenitalia www.trenitalia.it Railway Udine Cividale. www.ferrovieudinecividale.it 

The 2008 investigations clearly demonstrated that these structures, which can 

now be visited by the public visit, were partly reused in construction of the 

religious buildings for the Longobard palace, which in fact seem to have been well 

integrated with those pre-existing structures.

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Affittacamere di Qualizza Paolo 

B.go S. Pietro, 91; Ph.: + 39 0432 700246 

Affittacamere di Picotti Eugenio 

S.tta S. Valentino, 14 

Ph.: + 39 0432 731489 

FAX: + 39 (0) 432 701257 


www.almpomodoro.com 

Affittacamere di Bardus Ivano & C. snc 

Via Carraria, 100 Ph: +39 0432 730201 

Rooms Rental 

+ 

Bed&Breakfast 

Affittacamere di Roiatti Mauro 

C.so Mazzini, 15/1 

Mobile: + 39 349 0765288 

+ 39 349 3248997 

info@lacjasedaitoscans.it 

roiattimauro@libero.it 


Affittacamere "Casa Galante" 

di Galante Marco e Galante Luisa snc 

via Zorutti, 19 Cividale del Friuli (UD) 

Ph.: + 39 366 3162709 

www.casagalante.it 


Strada di Sant'Anna, 40/A 

Ph: +39 0432 716009 www.allapineta.it 


Via Strada di Spessa, 23 

Ph: +39 0432 716094 

Mobile: +39 333 8643852 

casafiorata@libero.it 

Azienda Agrituristica Case Gortani 

(Sanguarzo) Via San Floreano, 89 

Ph + 39 0432 733775 

Mob: +39 328 8458882 waltercudis@alice.it 


Strada di Guspergo, 19 

Ph. & FAX: + 39 0432 701498 

Mobile: +39 339 1123330 . 

www.aicasali.it info@aicasali.it 


(Sanguarzo), via Valli del Natisone, 112 

Ph.: +39 0432 709995 — soravi@alice.it 

Azienda Agricola Gildo (Spessa) 

Strada Colli Megaluzzi, 8/4 

Ph.: +39 0432 716060 

www.gildovini.com 

gildo@gildovini.com

Casa Luis (Sanguarzo) 

Strada di Guspergo, 83 - Loc. Sanguarzo 

Ph. +39 0432/701700 Mob. 328 0677750 

info@casaluis.it; www.casaluis.it 

Il Roncal di Moreale Martina (Fornalis) 

Via Fornalis, 148 - Cividale del Friuli 

Ph.: 0432/730138 www.ilroncal.it 

info@ilroncal.it 

Ronco Albina 

Strada Sant'Anna, 50 

Ph.: + 39 0432 716418 

info@roncoalbina.it 

www.roncoalbina.it 

Agriturismo Chamir 

Strada Gradois, 19 loc. Sanguarzo 

Ph.: +39 0432 732483 

info@agriturismo-chamir.it 


Agriturismo Al Bosco Romagno 

(Spessa) Strada di Spessa, 21 

Ph.: +39 0432 716189 

info@boscoromagno.it 



Via Cormons, 169 

Ph.: 0432/716262 info@vinilamagnolia.it 


Agriturismo Ronchi 

Via Fornalis, 181 

Ph.: +39 0432 730790 


Agriturismo Borgo dei Sapori (Spessa), 

Strada di Planez, 60 Loc. Spessa 

Ph.: + 39 0432 732477 Mob.:338/7440352 

www.borgodeisapori.net 

@borgodeisapori.net 

Hotel Roma *** 

Piazza Picco Alberto, 14/A 

Ph.: +39(0)432 731871 





Ph.: +39(0)432 731489 

Fax: +39(0)432 701257 


www.alpomodoro.com

Thank you! 

 

 

X23 Ltd, Italy 

(Coordinator) 

Europeana 

Foundation 

(The Netherlands) 

Quaternaire 

(Portugal) 

Tourist office of 

Cyprus 

Tourist office of 

Alentejo 

(Portugal) 

City of Graz 

(Austria) 

Co-fundend by the

TheEUHeritageTOUR Guide 

Work Street Work City, 

Work State Work ZIP 

T: Work Phone, F: Work Fax Phone 

Work Email, Work URL 

co-funded by 

Basic

EUHeritageTOUR-TourGuide-Basic-EN

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