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"VIVA VERDI"
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Italy |
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Guiseppe Verdi's life left traces all over the region of Parma, and more particularly in Busseto, the village in which he spent most of his life. Time seems frozen here and life continues to the beat of the Maestro's now invisible lead. His homes, his theater, his furniture, his pianos...all has remained intact. |
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A PREHISTORIC "VENICE"
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Italy |
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This port city built on water 3500 years ago was discovered by chance during the construction of a water reprocessing plant. The ancient city is a real maze of small islets and artificial canals built using thousands of trunks on the banks of the Sarno river, south of Naples. |
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MICHAELANGELO'S DAVID GETS A THOUROUGH WASH
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Italy |
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It's been almost 500 years since Renaissance master Michelangelo carved the giant statue from a single piece of marble, and over the centuries David has gotten a little grubby. |
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400 YEARS LATER, THE MYSTERY OF CARAVAGGIO'S DEATH RESOLVED ?
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The mystery surrounding the death of Baroque master Caravaggio may soon be resolved thanks to new DNA tests. A team of Italian anthropologists believe that what is left of Caravaggio's body may be hidden among dozens of bodies buried in a crypt in Tuscany, thanks to recent historical clues. The team -- armed with a CAT scan and kits for carbon dating -- plan to study the painter's exhumed remains to discover how he died. |
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FLORENCE'S CRAZY FOOTBALL GAME :FINAL OF THE AMAZING AND VIOLENT CALCIO STORICO FIORENTINO, HISTORIC FOOTBALL PLAYED IN COSTUME
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The Calcio Storico is a Florentine tradition dating back to the 15th century.The tournament runs with four teams -- the Blues, the Greens, the Whites, and the Reds -- each representing one district of the city.It's 50 minutes of strangling, biting, fighting, and running after a ball.This year the Reds of Santa Maria Novella won the final against the Blues of Santa Croce.The Calcio Storico is played in Piazza Santa Croce, which is covered in sand. Here, two teams of 27 players in medieval costumes face each other in a bloody game . FLORENCE ITALY |
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HUNT FOR MONA LISA TOMB IN FLORENCE
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A team of researchers started a hunt for the tomb and possible remains of the model for Leonardo Da Vinci`s Mona Lisa in an abandonned convent in the city of Florence … |
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POMPEII
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The Last Days of Pompeii ? |
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The repeated damage at one of the world's most important archaeological sites is proving an embarrassment for Italy, and giving credence to accusations that the entire ancient city is in a state of decay. |
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PRIVATE VISIT TO THE FARNESE PALACE IN ROME
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Palazzo Farnese, which currently houses the French embassy is the most monumental of Roman Renaissance palaces. First designed in 1514 for the Farnese family, the palace building expanded in size and conception when Alessandro Farnese became Pope Paul III in 1534. Its building history involved some of the most prominent Italian architects of the 16th century.After the extinction of the Farnese family it passed by inheritance to the king of Naples.The Palazzo was inherited from the Farnese by the Bourbon kings of Naples, from whom the French government purchased it in 1874. Though the government of Mussolini ransomed it in 1936, the French Embassy remains, under a 99-year lease. |
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REVAMPED ROME'S COLOSSEUM SOON TO OPEN ITS ARENA, UNDERGROUND AND HIGHEST LEVEL AFTER EXTENSIVE RESTORATION.
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Rome's Colosseum, soon to open its arena, underground and highest level after extensive restoration. For the first time tourists will be able to visit the underground, where gladiators once prepared for fights and lions and tigers were caged before entertaining a bloodthirsty public. Restorers have been hard at work cleaning and restoring travertine columns and ancient bricks. Rome's Colosseum, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire was completed in 80 AD with a capacity of up to 75,000 spectators.It was mainly used as a venue for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. |
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SAN GALGANO
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DID KING ARTHUR COME FROM TUSCANY ? |
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Could a sword planted in a stone by a Middle Ages knight in the heart of Tuscany, now prove that the legend of King Arthur, of Excalibur and the Holy Grail could have come from Italy and not England or Brittany. The sword of which only the handle and a few centimeters of the blade can be seen is planted in a rock located near the ruins of San Galgano Abbey, about thirty kilometers south of Sienna. This story begins in 1181-and the scientists firmly agree : the sword is authentic ! |
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THE VILLA MEDICI
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French Academy in Rome |
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The Villa Medici (Villa Medicis) , french Academy in Rome since 1803 . In 1576 the property was acquired by Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici and in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is one of the most beautiful and prestigious place in Rome. The stays of the pensioners vary from six months to two years. The art disciplines are : painting, sculpture, architecture, musical composition,art history, archaeology, literature, photography, movies, video, restoration and cookery. |
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