A few months ago I was in the countryside for work and I took the opportunity to pay a visit to Benevento to visit this important theater that has come down to our days because it must be remembered that the Campania region is not only famous for Vesuvius and Naples but also for other architectural assets such as this splendid theater.

In fact this beautiful theater was built by the emperor Hadrian in 126 after Christ enlarged by Caracalla later, but from the photos you do not have the perception of its dimensions which are really huge we are talking about 90 meters in diameter and could hold up to 15,000 spectators, I think that it was a lot for the time.

I have seen some Roman theaters but this really impressed me, also because it must be understood that there were three orders of arches but only the first is preserved and unfortunately a small part of the second.

The only criticism we can make is that unfortunately it is a bit poorly maintained as unfortunately I have seen so many monuments here in the south perhaps we should have a little more attention to this magnificent theater.

In the summer it was written that it is highly valued with many concerts that are held here and this is a really beautiful location for a concert especially because it manages to be a very intimate thing.

It is something that I love to go to concerts in these historic places because they were once thought of also to bring out the acoustics and therefore have a better sound to hear.

Outside there are also some small historical artifacts probably found during the excavations near this splendid theater and for those interested the entrance to the theater is really convenient because you pay only 4 Euro which in my opinion is really a low price for the value. that you go to see.

Yes, because we must remember that this theater was completely buried during the Lombard period and thanks A great archaeologist of the 1900s who was brought to light now we hope that it will be enhanced over time so if you are near Naples Take a leap because it is really worth it.

 

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The Roman theater of Benevento

A few months ago I was in the countryside for work and I took the opportunity to pay a visit to Benevento to visit this important theater th...

The Roman theater of Benevento

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The upcoming weeks don't seem like bringing any new trips for me and my family, hence why the post picked for today's article was from a very colorful place which represents perfectly how I see Christmas holidays in general.

This is not just because of all the decorations and everything because, frankly speaking, it's a holiday that brings lots of joy, happiness, emotions, and cool vibes that could easily be turned into different colors that reach everyone's heart in one way or another.

The one I'm talking about is Bepi's House from Burano Island.
If you've heard of Venice, then most likely you've heard about Murano and Burano which are two nearby islands that are equally worth a visit and most of the tourists who visit Venice end up booking a ride to these islands too, which honestly gave me an incredibly good mood being able to walk through so much color.
I know I haven't prepared a post with either of these islands yet, which is also the main reason why I won't give too many spoilers about them, but as a quick resume, Italy is well known for being one of the most colorful countries, having Burano as the world's most colorful island due to all the colorful houses.
A short explanation would be that most of the people living in this part of the world had jobs on the sea, and during the night or when it was foggy outside, they needed very powerful guidance to reach their homes, leading to picking vibrant colors for each house that is currently resting on Burano island.

Though, as most of the houses are focused on a single color without too many architectural designs, Bapi's House was taken to the next level, adding more colors to the same building, along with geometrical shapes that make everything even more interesting. All these aspects led to earning the title of the most colorful house on the island, which could easily compete with those found as the world's most colorful houses. Anyway, this article found on the internet is from 2014, so most likely many things have changed since then.

And yes, there was no way to reach the house other than walking through narrow paths between lots of other colorful houses that even though don't catch so much attention as Bepi's House, they still have an important contribution to painting the whole scenery with lots of shades.

Additionally, the house is also known as Bepi of Candies which made sure not to have any of the rainbow's color miss from its facade, and the name is not randomly given.

As everyone would expect, the one behind this colorful house is no one else but Bepi which is just a nickname while the real name is Giuseppe Toselli who was always a lover of painting and movies.
The second passion was born while he was working at the Cinema Favin but when this one was closed he started selling sweets at Burano's Galuppi Square which is where the name of Bepi of Candies started.
But as there are many tourists coming by and being impressed by the colors of the house which is a lot easier to remember under a short name, Bepi's House represents a better known name for everyone.
For those of you who managed to visit Burano during the '80s, it seems like there used to be organized outdoor cinema sessions during the summer evenings that were entirely dedicated to children throwing cartoons and funny movies in the improvised cinema.

While this tradition was lost on the way when Bepi died, the house didn't lose any of its popularity, making it become part of postcards and be recognized as the most colorful house on the island, and somewhere on the world's top as well.

Quite the opposite from what people envisioned Bepi, including me, those who met him said that he used to be a very strange man who was always painting new geometric shapes on his house every afternoon, which was a big contrast with the things you could notice inside the house, including dark colors, strange and very old objects, and lots of television and film recorders.

This is something that describes pretty much how easy is to get fooled by a person who might be smiling but being completely lost and ruined on the inside.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

After Bepi died, the house was constantly restored keeping its facade the same as the original, but visiting it on the inside or finding out more about its past and the one who made it earn the title of the most colorful house on the island, is not an available option at the moment.

Either way, even just seeing it from the outside or making your way towards it which will take you through many colorful paths, it's still an experience that I loved and did bring lots of smiles to my face as well as good vibes that I can still feel in one way or another when accessing these memories from my brain.

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The Bepi's House is located in Burano which is an island that can only be reached with a boat or water taxi. The house is just around the main square of Burano and it's reachable by following very narrow little streets that represent a great experience until the destination.

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Let's travel together #279 - Bepi's House (Burano's most colorful house)

The upcoming weeks don't seem like bringing any new trips for me and my family, hence why the post picked for today's article wa...

Let's travel together #279 - Bepi's House (Burano's most colorful house)

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When I think about Venice, the first thing I get in my mind is that I'm talking about a completely different city than what you are used to see in Europe with all the methods of transport being done on the water, hence why an experience with a Gondola is definitely a must try.

Either way, while we failed to book a ride for a gondola because it was both expensive and off-season so we couldn't enjoy one of those sunny and warm days while being on the water, we concluded that Venice is a lot more than that for sure.

Therefore, after two full days exploring more sides of Venice starting with the sunrise and returning home when it was already night outside, our hearts were forever conquered by the specific architecture that makes you turn your head from one building to another no matter if those represent a tourist attraction or not.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

It was already a bit over 5 PM when we finished exploring San Marco which is perhaps a name that more people who went to Venice remember about, just because it represents the heart of the city and the home to some of the most iconic sights someone can enjoy while in Venice.

Since there was a bit more time until the night was settling, we decided to roam around San Marco, ending up on some very narrow streets. If you've been to Venice, then you can relate to those narrow streets that promise nothing but offer everything. It's basically the best way to get lost with no expectations but welcome everything with your heart wide open when being surprised by lots of cool buildings.

If you know a bit of Italian, then what you will see on the little panel from the image attached above will be a pretty good spoiler to figure out what you are going to see around the corner. But as none I or my family understand this language, I thought that was the name of the street, lol.

Either way, after just around 10 meters of walking in the narrow passage, we ended up in front of one of those buildings that are hard to ever forget.

Its full name is Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo but it's also known as Scala Contarini del Bovolo which is also what was written on the little board, where 'scala' means 'stairs'.

This is quite a suggestive name for the building which even though it represents a palace, is mainly formed of stairs which represent the biggest point of interest. So I guess it's fair enough to consider the name Scala Contarini del Bovolo too.

Not sure how people usually interpret when hearing about a palace or a castle, but my mind always flies to their past and yet the history that I am about to discover. Sadly or not, Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo was the first palace I've visited that is not famous for its past nor its architecture, but actually for the stairs mentioned before which take you gradually to a world seen from the top.

Hence why, seeing the palace from the outside and even entering the garden for a closer look comes at no cost, while following all the way up comes with a fee that needs to be paid.

As much as I'd have loved this experience, we got plenty of views from the top admiring Venice at no cost, and made no sense to pay for a ticket with this purpose especially since we arrived just a few minutes before being closed and would rush our exploration even more. But if you are a fan of this kind of view and experience, go for it. You will have a nice perspective of San Marco that perhaps you won't find in other place.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

Obviously, we couldn't leave before entering the county yard and seeing how this one welcomes the ones crossing the palace's threshold, but we couldn't find out much as there were no informative panels.

With this thought, I'm assuming that the elements placed on the grass are either pieces of history but without having interest in becoming a center of attention for the palace, or they might be part of a temporary exhibition which I heard is hosted from time to time.

An interesting thing is that the palace itself dates from the 16th century while the stairs were implemented one century later by an architect who's name is Giovanni Candi who also came up with the idea to have the palace entitled Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo which means The Spiral Palace. A pretty obvious change that was going to make the palace be recognized further only because he added the stairs following a spiral shape. Not sure if it's a good or greedy thing, but it does look pretty interesting overall, competing with many other famous buildings with a nice architecture from Venice.

Click on the images to see them in full resolution

The style of architecture design the palace followed is half Gothic and half Renaissance and what makes it even more unique is that the palace can't be observed from any part of the city unless you follow the narrow path we also followed, while this one manages to give the visitors a full new perspective over San Marco.

I'd like to compare this one to a saying that I absolutely love, namely, the shy people who observe everything but are never observed by others.

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is 28 meters in height and composed of 5 different floors that can be crossed in 80 steps only, speaking about a fairly narrow tower.

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The full address of the palace is Scala Contarini del Bovolo, 4303, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy and can be reached only by walking since there are no public transports taking tourists from one place to another. Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo is placed equidistant from Rialto - the economic center of Venice, and from San Marco - the political heart of Venice.

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Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, Venice

When I think about Venice, the first thing I get in my mind is that I'm talking about a completely different city than what you are us...

Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, Venice

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What a beautiful September morning to be alive here in Ora surrounded by mountains on the gorgeous Adige Valley in the North of Italy. After couple of deep inhalations of this fresh mountain air, I'm now thinking where can I find a good cup of coffee and just laze in the sun like a lizard and indulge myself in the state of the famous italian saying "la dolce far niente". Luckily there is a place where I can achieve this state of elevated being and more, at the bakery just across the street from the camping.

Caffeine and sugar can take me anywhere :)

Now that the breakfast is served let me show you around the Camping Markushof where I stayed just one night but which exceeded all my expectations. The price was about 15 EUR/person/pitch/day when I was here in 2022 and varies slightly based on the season. I really liked this camping and is only 20 km away from Bolzano in case you plan for a visit in the area.

For those travelling super light there is also a 3* Hotel Markushof on site.

And yes there is also a pool under those palm trees and free wifi availableWashing machine, dryer and detergent available for your laundryModern and clean sanitary facilities

Now it's time to leave the camping and continue our route upstream towards Bolzano.

Adige RiverEntering BolzanoThe spectacular Dolomites are in the backBolzano CathedralA 14th century gothic masterpiece Waltherplatz

I think this is a nice place to have lunch and I just spotted a nice terrace.

Lunch break italian style of course and refuelling

Now let's have a look around the old town shall we?

"Nestled in the picturesque Italian Alps, Bolzano is a charming city known for its quaint streets, historic architecture, and vibrant culture. Visitors can wander through the medieval old town, explore the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to see the famous Ötzi the Iceman, or hop on a cable car to take in breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. With its blend of Italian and Austrian influences, Bolzano offers a unique and delightful experience for any traveler seeking beauty and history in a stunning alpine setting." Damn this AI description of Bolzano is really good, I could not have summed it up so well myself, afterall I only spent 3h there.

It is the capital city of the province of South Tirol, in Northern Italy with a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. In the 2020 version of the annual ranking of quality of life in Italian cities, Bolzano was ranked joint first for quality of life alongside Bologna. Bolzano is considered a bridge between Northern Europe and Southern Europe due to the three spoken languages in South Tyrol (Italian, German, and Ladin) and the confluence of Italian and German-Austrian culture.

Beautiful old streets of BolzanoThe Franciscan Friary is a must visit when you'll come to BolzanoGothic style Franciscan monastic church founded in 1221Grateful to be here for the first timeAnd a quick espresso before saying goodbye to BolzanoLeft Adige behind and continued along the Eisack riverside

This is actually an old railway transformed in cycle path which is such a brilliant ideea considering the uphill gradient is more or less constant and being so it's also easy on the legs, making the route accessible to everyone. This is the way!

Choo choo !!!

"The Brennero-Bolzano railway line was a historic railway route in northern Italy that connected the cities of Brennero and Bolzano. It was part of the Brenner Railway, a major line linking Austria and Italy. The line was built in the mid-19th century and closed in the 1990s when it was replaced by a more modern railway. Today, parts of the old railway path have been converted into the Isarco Valley Cycle Path, a popular route for cyclists and hikers."

Highway A22  connecting Italy with Austria up there on the right 100% joy on a day like thisIn case someone needs to adjust the pressure or do a quick fix on the roadTransiting Klausen old townOne of many transiting Brixen

I arrived in Brixen in the evening and went straight to the camping Lowenhof which I reserved in advance this time and set up my tent. After a quick shower I went for dinner at the restaurant on premise which seemed a bit fancy at the beginning considering this is a 4* hotel&camping but apparently this is the norm here in South Tyrol which I can totally adapt to, no problem as long as I'm solvent...at least for now.

Upgraded to 4* this evening as you can seeAnd switched to burger, I'm getting closer to Austrian border afterall :)

Day 4 map: Auer - Ora to Brixen 71 km (Bikemap App)

This was my experience cycling on EuroVelo 7 upstream Bolzano back in 2022 and I loved every minute of it, hope it can help you plan for yours. May the sun shine on you when you decide to visit!

Until next time,

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https://travelfeed.com/@discovereurovelo/biketouring-eurovelo7-italy-auer-ora-to-brixen-2022

EuroVelo 7 - Auer Ora to Brixen 71 km

  What a beautiful September morning to be alive here in Ora surrounded by mountains on the gorgeous Adige Valley in the North of Italy. A...

EuroVelo 7 - Auer Ora to Brixen 71 km

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