We crossed the moat by walking over the 600 year old drawbridge. In the courtyard we paid to enter…read morethe castle & climb 122 steps up the tower. We started at a model of the castle & moved through the kitchen, saw bibles, 4 towers, prisons, rooms for court games & entertainment. The ornate ceiling ls were very impressive passing through the Governor & Pope's rooms. There were archaeological remnants from the 1400's all around us. We saw Borso d'Este or Duke of Ferrara's bible. There was a museum with art of Adelphi Ricardo Mantovani done in the 20th century that appeared to be well done but we moved through it. We spent :90 minutes here admiring palazzos, frescoes, archaeological sites, ceilings, tiles... We passed a few brides taking photographs here.

The Castello Estense ('Este castle') or castello di San Michele ('St. Michael's castle') is a…read moremoated medieval castle in the center of Ferrara, northern Italy. It consists of a large block with four corner towers. Beautiful to visto on morning and night as well.

Venice's only Gothic church. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It is simply called "I…read moreFrari" as it was built by the brothers (frati) of the Franciscan order. LOCATION: In the San Polo sestiere but I remember just stumbling onto it while walking the island from my hotel in Dorsoduro to the train station on the opposite side of the island. ADMISSION: €3 Modest dress requested. I'm an atheist but as Christianity was highly influential in shaping European history I visit churches with the intent of understanding the history (and sometimes) art in shaping a region's cultural identity. As the Frari is not in San Marco, Rialto or any other major Venetian landmark I would've easily missed this church if not for Rick Steves' audioguide (http://podcasts.ricksteves.com/walkingtours/FrariChurch.mp3). His reasoning is that offers an opportunity to experience art in-situ (right where it was designed to be seen) as opposed to hanging in a museum. The audioguide explains the major art pieces in detail way better than I ever can. Here's a summary of the major pieces inside the church. - Titian's Assumption of Mary. This is considered to be Titian's magnum opus and his first major commission from a church. It's located behind the main altar. Its depiction of Mary was revolutionary for its time as she is seen as triumphant and depicted in soft and warm colors. - Titian's Madonna of Ca' Pesaro. What's significant is that this broke Renaissance tradition by depicting Mary and Jesus off-center and interacting with the commonfolk. - Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child aka the Frari Triptych. - Tombs of Titian and Canova. Titian had his tomb decorated with a relief of his most famous painting. On the other side Canova's cenotaph (Venice's most famous sculptor) is pyramid-shaped and was once meant for Titian, but when the church used the present design his pupils repurposed it for their master instead. It's a cenotaph because he isn't buried here but an urn contains his heart. Once you're done exploring the church the surrounding area is quieter than San Marco or Rialto. It makes for a good lunch/dinner spot and the prices are more reasonable.

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (aka Frari Church) was one of my favorite attractions in Venice…read more The church is beautiful, there were no lines to wait in, and the cost was only 3 Euros per person. Frari church has many beautiful Venetian sculptures. The main highlight at this church is Titian's Assumption over the main alter. We downloaded Rick Steves' free audio tour onto to our iPods and it really added to the experience since our knowledge on Venetian art and Frari Church were minimal. You can download the free audio tour at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/italy-audio-tours/id272230438 After you visit the church I recommend checking out the Dorsoduro neighborhood along the Grand Canal and buying a cone of gelato!

Call us immature but we loved this fountain because we started calling Bologna the city of boobies…read moreafter visiting it. I wish I spoke Italian so I could say it in a more romantic way, like the other nicknames for this city. And hey, we weren't the only ones because what supported our claim that we saw plenty of magnets and souvenirs decorated in this fashion. But more seriously, this fountain is lovely. The area has places to sit and enjoy people watching or having a snack. The rest of the piazza has great views and places to eat, drink and shop.

The fountain in the center of Bologna's main square was completed in 1565. The over-life-size…read morebronze figure of the god Neptune was completed & fixed in place around 1566. I appreciated the water fountain in front; the free water was icy cold @ delicious. The fountain & sculpture are iconic symbols Bologna & references to them can be found in many symbols, commercials and logos. Neptune is stretching his left hand in a lordly gesture, appearing to be aiming to placate the waves. His posture symbolic of the power of the Pope as Neptune was the master of the seas, the Pope was the master of Bologna and of the world.

Walk out the back of the cathedral and across the street this amazing library!!…read more The details just in the open courtyard are stunning! You can go up stairs as well and explore we were unfortunately running out of time.

This library is part museum, part municipal library with some of the historic rooms and anatomical…read moreamphitheater open to the public. Reservations are recommended tho not required on weekdays. On a Tuesday afternoon in early April there were several high school student groups visiting and maybe a few dozen other regular tourists. Tickets are €3 in person and an extra €0.50 to reserve online in advance. I imagine the lines and crowds in the summer are longer. Upon entering the main entrance on the ground floor, most visitors take a stroll around the central courtyard then head up the stairs to the 1st floor (2nd floor to non-Europeans). Atop the stairs the main library room is on the right and the hallway to the anatomical theatre and public exhibit space and historical auditorium is on the left. The staff will direct tourists to the left, they're very strict on granting access to the functioning library rooms to only students with valid student IDs and reservations. The anatomical theatre is one of a few better known of such historical facilities in Bologna, being that it's traditionally a university city and they used to study anatomy science in this type of lecture hall. Raised seating overlooks a central table on a platform, where bodies were placed. This building was part of the university of Bologna until the university location moved to a more NE section of the city. There were some descriptive plaques placed outside which explained its functions and how this particular room was severely damaged during WWI, then reconstructed. After sitting and taking in the room, the progression of the visit follows a hallway where in April there was a temporary exhibit on Italian comic books and graphic novels. There wasn't a lot of English translation though it was intriguing to view the pages, art, books on display. Following this exhibit was a step into one of the former auditorium classrooms which showcases some of the thousands of student coats of arms lining the walls and ceiling within this complex. Apparently each coats of arms represented a student's background, and the honor of placing this permanent badge on the wall went to elected students leaders. An interesting spot to spend 45 min to 1 hour checking out. Reservations are required on Saturdays and holidays. There are lockers and bathrooms located in the building. Mobility accessible entry available.

This square is almost like a hub to all of the best sightseeing in Bologna. It's the central…read moresquare where a lot of the interesting sights are located. While we were there, they were setting up for some sort of viewing with a huge screen and plenty of seats. I didn't look up what it was for but I assume that because this square is so large and central, they do this sort of thing all of the time. We visited the fountain, the church and the shops and restaurants branching off from this square and we also took the San Luca express from here. Great way to landmark yourself in the city.

Other Yelp reviewers have covered many of the major points regarding location and this square's…read morecentrality to all the major site seeing attractions nearby. I'll add a few notes on some of the notable places to visit in and around this piazza: - Palazzo Re Enzo in April 2024 wasn't open to the public for general viewing, inside are mainly government offices. - Biblioteca Salaborsa: cool library building for history and architecture fans. Aside from the impressive details of the current building. Roman ruins are visible from main library floor and visitable underneath the library. See my separate review for this! - Biblioteca Communale and the Two Towers (Asinelli Tower and Garisenda Tower--not to be confused with LOTR) are about a 5 minute walk from this square. Towards the south for the historical library with a historic anatomical studies operating room, and directly east for the towers. - Signorvino: decent spot to people watch, enjoy some wine and a light meal or charcuterie while taking in the view of the piazza. Indoor and outdoor seating available. - Fontana del Nettuno: ask the locals about the legend around the sea god's sculpture...walk around it to view at different angles...maybe not appropriate for kiddies. - Cinema Modernissimo: recently renovated (end 2023) old school movie theater from 1915 that's underground and on the block next to the piazza. They play Italian classics, and both old and modern movies, tickets starting at €6 and some movies with free entry. All showings book up very quickly, so move fast--as of end June all paid shows were booked up thru end November. Hope anyone reading this enjoys their time in Bologna as much as I did!

This Basilica is small but beautiful. Make sure to follow the dress code, knees and shoulders…read morecovered. There are additional features that you need to get separate tickets for (or get a bundle) so make sure to do your research beforehand and and book appropriately. It will be a short visit given the venue isn't large but it's worth it when you're in Venice!

Basilica di San Marco or the St. Mark's Basilica is dedicated to St. Mark, the patron saint of the…read morecity and a house for his relics. This is without a doubt the most important religious site in the city of Venice. At the time of our visit, there was construction on front of the building, but it was still beautiful. It is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture with Gothic influences. There was so much incredible detail that went into every inch of the building. I did not get to go inside but the outside was already impressive. A great spot for photos.