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What to see between Rome and Florence...

Carl Douglas (agfa8x)

My architect brother is travelling through Italy for the first time. What should he put on his itinerary? He doesn't want church overload, and he isn't going as far south as Naples - mostly Rome, Florence and Siena. Hidden gems a plus.

 
May 21, 06 11:56 pm
Becker

Verona, Bologna, Pisa, Cinque Terre. also Venice would be a must if he could get that far.
Going further south in italy would really require another trip, as allot of architecture south of naples is quite different to that in northern italy.

May 22, 06 12:08 am  · 
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Auguste Perret

The Palazzo Farnese and Porta Pia are in Rome, both by Michelangelo, and very impressive. Also the Palazzo della Civilta Italiano by Giovanni Guerrini, Ernesto la Padula and Mario Romano in Rome. Luigi Moretti's apartment building on the Via Parioli in Rome. It's much further north, but if he finds himself in Como, I'd suggest the Casa del Fascio by Giuseppe Terragni.

May 22, 06 12:29 am  · 
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vman

i second cinque terre and would also highly recommend orvietto.
if he is an owner of a ferrari, he can also schedule a guided tour of their factory near modena.

May 22, 06 2:10 am  · 
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vado retro

i'd check out that hardrock cafe next to the spanish steps and the lattes at the ponte vecchio starbucks rock!

May 22, 06 8:18 am  · 
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matteo

Nearby Siena can visit Pisa, Pienza (a town built following the Rinascimental rules), San Gimignano (the famous tower-house), Volterra and Lucca (for their medioeval implants).

In the between Florence and Rome can visit Cortona, Todi, Orvieto, Assisi.

Neraby Rome can visit Villa Adriana (villa of the roman emperor Adrian) and Villa d'Este in Tivoli (summer house built in the XVI century as summer residency for the Pope, beautiful gardens and fountains)

May 22, 06 8:25 am  · 
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Philarch

I second Matteo's suggestion of going to San Gimignano. So much to sketch and learn there. - Also, the Gelato place there is supposed to be one of the best in Italy. ah gelato...

May 22, 06 9:05 am  · 
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quizzical


I agree ... Cortona's worth a visit ... it's right along the autostrada that runs along the Val di Chiana between Rome and Florence ... it's a great place to spend a day and experience a medieval hilltown that's virtually unchanged.

May 22, 06 9:18 am  · 
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squaresquared

It's not between Florence and Rome, but Terragni's "Casa del Fascio" in Como is spectacular. I think Eisenman wrote a book about it.

Also, don't miss the EUR in Rome.

May 22, 06 9:19 am  · 
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dtowntitan

I think that Matteo is pretty much right on. I lived in Volterra for 2 months this past summer. I would say that would say Volterra is a good city to stop by for a day, very nice medieval city. The others that he listed including San Gimignano are nice places as well. I have been told that Cinque Terre is a cant miss from the ones in my class that went there. IMO Pisa, is almost not worth going to, it really is only the tower and baptistry, and not really much of anything else.

May 22, 06 11:31 am  · 
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AP
Vicenza

, although out of the way to the North, is worthy of a visit. your brother could make a brief trip out of Vicenza, Venice and Verona (all w/in an hour train ride of eachother)...

more

more

May 22, 06 11:57 am  · 
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mfrech

1. Siena

2. Orvieto

May 22, 06 12:08 pm  · 
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larslarson

i second verona...

the castelvecchio is one of my favorite buildings..
and there's some other scarpa there as well...
plus there's that whole rome and juliet thing if you're
into that...

May 22, 06 12:29 pm  · 
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parallel38

Vicenza, Verona, Bologna, and Venice are all NORTH of Florence

agfa..........

Siena

Perugia (especially when they have their "Chocolate Conventions")

Urbino

May 22, 06 8:14 pm  · 
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zero1

A third (4th?) for Cinque Terre and Lucca. Even the area around Florence (Fiesole) has some real gems. Check out Villa Gamberaia and play with the owner's little maltese. Not too far away from Florence is Certosa Di Galuzzo, a beautiful monastery complex that strongly influenced Corb's La Tourrette.

May 22, 06 9:39 pm  · 
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Carl Douglas (agfa8x)

Thanks for all the responses - they're really helpful. What about recent work? Other non-architectural suggestions for things not to miss?

May 22, 06 9:57 pm  · 
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parallel38

On your way out of Rome, check out Piano's Theater Complex, Meier's Pacis, and Hadid's new complex (all north of the city center) and the rest of the "Olympic Renewal Zone". Just outside of Florence, visit the "Church of the Autostrada", off the highway, you can't miss it. Also, if you're driving on the A1, take a nice car ;-)....The A1 in and of itself is "designed"

May 22, 06 10:07 pm  · 
 · 
oe

Also definately check out Bomarzo. The gardens there are incredible. Come to think of it the Boboli and Pratolina gardens around Florence are great too. Michelucci's work in and around Florence is also highly underated.


In terms of really new stuff you should see a symphony in Piano's new Roma Auditorium, great building.

May 22, 06 10:26 pm  · 
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mfrech

piano's parco della musica is stunning, but the acoustics were more than a little screwy...i saw david byrne there 2 years ago, and the building was no match for his well-endowed-and-quirky percussion section.

i realize that's sort of irrelevent, but i didn't know when i'd have a chance to use such an anecdote again

however, i repeat: the building is a great visit, and not too far from the Zaha thingy. MAXXI?

May 22, 06 10:38 pm  · 
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oe

p.s. if you DO end up going as far north as venice and dont see Brion Tomb you will be shot.

May 22, 06 10:41 pm  · 
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squaresquared
Lost Corner? Not Anymore.
May 22, 06 10:46 pm  · 
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Becker

you MUST go to a soccer match, serie A. book ahead though. and bring face paint, giant flags, fire crackers and lots of spirit.

May 23, 06 12:17 am  · 
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matteo

No serie A soccer games until next October at the best.

Luciano Moggi, general manager of Juventus FC, is at the centre of an investigation into alleged corruption in Italian football.

There are recorded phone call where he openly buys referees in order to make Juventus to win games and make other strong teams, as Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio and Roma to lose.

Juventus has won the "scudetto" this year, but it's most likely that the second team arrived this year, Milan AC, will have it; last year's scudetto, always won by Juventus, could be withdrawn; Juventus will have to go in serie C; it could happen that Juventus will be expelled from the championship for 2 or 3 years.

May 23, 06 5:46 am  · 
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parallel38

oe is right...beware

May 23, 06 7:56 pm  · 
 · 
oe

of Bomarzo? or of being shot?

May 23, 06 10:31 pm  · 
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