A really good Italian hotel will cosset you with creature comforts, seduce you with style and elegance and make you feel at home with friendly service. Use this website to help you find the perfect place to stay during your visit to Italy. We have tried and tested every hotel featured and can vouch for the locations, standard of facilities and level of service.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Hotel Carlton Treviso



Top location for this spacious and comfortable hotel


Just inside the historic walls of Treviso, the Hotel Carlton is perfectly placed for exploring the city or going further afield in the beautiful Veneto region.
The entrance to the Hotel Carlton at Porta Altinia

This elegant, four star hotel in Largo Porta Altinia is just a short walk from the railway station from where there are regular trains to Padova, Mestre and Venice.
It takes only a few minutes to walk from the hotel to the Piazza dei Signori, right in the centre of Treviso where there are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants.
The Carlton Hotel is bright and spacious and the rooms have every modern convenience.
There is a large reception area with helpful staff always on hand to answer queries. The hotel offers free wi fi and there is parking available for guests who arrive by car.
The first floor restaurant has plenty of tables and a generous buffet breakfast is served there from 7 am till noon.

Editor’s note: “I had a very relaxed, comfortable stay at this friendly hotel. The staff were always pleasant and helpful, the breakfast was excellent and the room and bathroom had everything you could wish for.”

For more information to check prices and to book a room at the Hotel Carlton try our booking partners venere.com and Hotels.com

Why stay at Hotel Carlton in Treviso?
The Carlton is in an ideal location for people interested in exploring the Veneto as the railway station and bus stops are just a short walk away on the other side of the city’s walls. It is also close to the centre of Treviso and you pass plenty of smart shops, bars and restaurants on your way into the city. It is handy for the airport, as it is just a short bus or taxi ride from Treviso’s Antonio Canova airport in Via Noalese, Treviso.  


Book a room at the Hotel Carlton Treviso with venere.com or Hotels.com



What to see near the Hotel Carlton
A short walk from the Hotel Carlton brings you into the centre of the city and Via Calmaggiore, the main street, where there are some smart shops behind the porticos. At one end is Piazza dei Signori with its Palazzo dei Trecento, which was built in the 13th century and at the other end is Treviso’s Duomo.
Houses overlook a pretty canal in the centre of Treviso

Stroll along at the side of the willow-fringed canals, some still with their original waterwheels, that lie behind Via Calmaggiore until you reach the Pescheria (fish market).

This is situated on a very small island in the middle of Treviso’s River Sile. Unsold fish are thrown into the water at the end of each morning's trading. 


Restaurant recommendation
For traditional Treviso cooking try Trattoria Toni del Spin in Via Inferiore behind Piazza dei Signori. The restaurant is in an historic building and has the atmosphere of a traditional Treviso tavern. Toni del Spin is open every day except for Monday lunch times. 

Local Specialities
Try tagliatelle al sugo d’anatra (tagliatelle with duck sauce), risotto con funghi (mushroom risotto) and bigoli in salsa di acciughe (pasta with anchovy sauce). Also sample the locally-grown Treviso radicchio (a type of chicory) that features in a variety of dishes.

Local wines
A stay in Treviso gives you the perfect opportunity to sample Prosecco, a light, refreshing sparkling wine, which is made by many different producers in the area. Treviso is close to the so-called strada del prosecco, the road between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, which is lined with wineries producing Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), the stamp of quality given to the best Italian wines. 

Shopping

There are plenty of the top fashion stores, such as Benetton, Gucci and Sisley, as well as cosmetics shops and leather goods shops in the centre of Treviso.



Book a room at the Carlton Hotel Treviso with venere.comor Hotels.com



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Monday, May 4, 2015

Death in the High City first anniversary


Successful year for Bergamo’s first English crime novel

Death in the High City, the first British detective novel to be set in Bergamo, has had an exciting first year.
The novel, which was published in Kindle format on Amazon 12 months ago today, has sold copies in the UK, Italy, America, Australia and Canada. A paperback version of Death in the High City was published in July 2014.
Val Culley's book, Death in the High City, is set in Bargamo with much action taking place around Piazza Vecchia (pictured)
Piazza Vecchia features in several
scenes in Death in the High City
 
Author Val Culley has had some heart warming emails and messages about the book from readers both in the UK and abroad and has been delighted with the level of interest in her first novel.
In October 2014 Val was a guest at the fifth anniversary celebrations of Bergamo Su e Giù, a group of independent tour guides in the city. She was invited to present Death in the High City to an audience in San Pellegrino Terme and sign copies of the book and she also made an appearance on Bergamo TV to talk about the novel with presenter Teo Mangione.
In November the book was purchased by Leicestershire Libraries and is now in stock at Loughborough, Shepshed, Ashby de la Zouch, Coalville, Castle Donington and Kegworth Libraries and is going out on loan regularly.
In April this year Val was invited to Bergamo again to present her novel to a group of 80 Italian teachers of English and to sign copies. She made a second appearance on Bergamo TV and also formally presented a copy of Death in the High City to the Biblioteca Civica (Civic Library) in Piazza Vecchia, a location that is featured in the novel itself.
Death in the High City centres on the investigation into the death of an English woman who was staying in the Città Alta while writing a biography of the composer Gaetano Donizetti.
The novel is the first of a series to feature the characters of Kate Butler, a freelance journalist, and Steve Bartorelli, a Detective Chief Inspector, who is of partly Italian descent and has just retired from the English police.
The victim had been living in an apartment in Bergamo’s Città Alta and much of the action takes place within the walls of the upper town. The local police do not believe there is enough evidence to open a murder enquiry and so Kate Butler, who is the victim’s cousin, arrives in Bergamo to try to get some answers about her death.a
A beautiful view of the Italian city of Bergamo
The Città Alta seen from San Vigilio
Kate visits many of the places in the city with Donizetti connections and her enquiries even take her out to Lago d’Iseo and into the countryside around San Pellegrino Terme. But after her own life is threatened and there has been another death in the Città Alta, her lover, Steve Bartorelli, joins her to help unravel the mystery and trap the killer. The reader is able to go along for the ride and enjoy Bergamo’s wonderful architecture and scenery while savouring the many descriptions in the novel of local food and wine.
The novel will be of interest to anyone who enjoys the ‘cosy’ crime fiction genre or likes detective novels with an Italian setting.

Death in the High City by Val Culley is available from Amazon.co.uk

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Sunday, March 8, 2015

Arli Hotel Bergamo

 

This smart Bergamo hotel is in an ideal position


In the heart of Bergamo’s Città Bassa (lower town), the comfortable Arli Hotel provides an ideal base for exploring the city and surrounding area.
Situated in Largo Porta Nuova, the three-star hotel is about half way between the railway station and the funicolare (funicular station) for the Città Alta (upper town), approximately 400 metres from them both.
Arli Hotel in Largo Porta Nuova
It is very close to the stops for buses to the Città Alta and the airport at Orio al Serio and is handy for some of the best shops and restaurants in the Città Bassa.
The Arli Hotel has a bright, welcoming reception area, which leads into La Delizia restaurant. There is also a dedicated internet room on the ground floor.
There is a lift to the 66 bedrooms and guests can opt for single, double or king size accommodation.
Editor’s note: “When I stayed at the Arli Hotel I was impressed with both the comfort of the bed and pillows and the selection of food offered at the buffet breakfast, which was included in the price of the room.”

For more information, to check prices and to book a room at the Arli Hotel, try our booking partners Hotels.com and Expedia UK.

Why stay at Arli Hotel in Bergamo?
The Arli Hotel is in an excellent location in Bergamo, handy for some of the best bars, restaurants and shops.
The Arli Hotel also has its own wine bar and guests can use the facilities of the Fit and Well Spa. There is free car parking for guests and room service is available after 10.30 pm for late arriving visitors.

Book a room at the Arli Hotel, Bergamo with Expedia UK.

What to see near the Arli Hotel
The beautiful church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is on the corner of Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII and Porta Nuova, with its 19th century green cupola topped with a golden statue. The origins of the church go back to 1422 when a convent was built on the site. The beautiful cloisters have been preserved within the church buildings, although the convent was suppressed at the beginning of the 19th century.
Porta Nuova with the upper town in the background
The distinctive Propilei di Porta Nuova, two buildings that look like small temples, were designed by Ferdinando Crivelli in the mid 19th century and built on the site of one of the gates of the muraine, the name for the old city walls that used to run through the Città Bassa.
Via Sentierone is a popular place for la passeggiata. The Sentierone, which means broad path, links Piazza Vittorio Veneto with Via Torquato Tasso, a road that leads into the oldest part of the Città Bassa.
The Donizetti monument, set back from Via Sentierone in Piazza Cavour, was erected in 1897 to commemorate the first anniversary of Donizetti’s birth. An imposing structure in white marble, it depicts the composer sitting on a bench gazing at the figure of a female playing the lyre. Set in the middle of a pond and surrounded by plants and trees, the monument is inscribed simply ‘A Gaetano Donizetti’.
La Chiesa dei Santi Bartolomeo e Stefano, at the corner of Via Torquato Tasso and Largo Bortolo Belotti, provides an impressive backdrop for Via Sentierone. Inside are some beautiful 18th century frescoes, but it is difficult not to be drawn straight to the magnificent altarpiece, Madonna with Child and Saints painted in 1513 by Lorenzo Lotto. The painting is also sometimes referred to as Pala Martinengo as it was commissioned by Alessandro Martinengo Colleoni, the nephew and adopted ‘son’ of condottiero Bartolomeo Colleoni.
Palazzo della Provincia in Via Torquato Tasso is Bergamo’s seat of provincial government. Built between 1864 and 1871, it was the first public work to be carried out in Bergamo after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy . The new building was designed on a grand scale to house both the offices of the provincial administration and the prefecture of police. On the facade you will notice five carvings depicting significant events and personalities in Bergamo’s history.
La Chiesa di Santo Spirito in Piazzetta Santo Spirito is considered the most important religious Renaissance building in the Città Bassa. It was converted from an original 14th century church by the Venetian born architect Pietro Isabello in 1530 on behalf of some of the rich merchant families in Bergamo . The fine Renaissance design is more striking inside where there is a nave and ten side chapels divided by tall columns. Santo Spirito houses Enthroned Madonna with Saints and Angels, painted by Lorenzo Lotto in 1521.
Directions:
The Arli Hotel can be found in Largo Porta Nuova, just off Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII, the main thoroughfare that leads from the station up to the Città Alta.  It can be reached on foot or by bus or taxi from the station, or by bus and taxi from the airport at Orio al Serio.

Restaurant recommendation:
La Ciotola is a short walk away from Arli Hotel in Viale Papa Giovanni XXIII in the centre of the Città Bassa. La Ciotola, which means ‘the bowl’, offers specialities such as gnocchi with fennel in a cream sauce and risotto with truffles in red wine. There are fish and chicken dishes and a long pizza list, or you could try the local favourite of veal with mushrooms and polenta.

Local specialities:
Try casoncelli alla bergamasca ( Bergamo’s own version of stuffed pasta), polenta taragna (polenta with Taleggio cheese) and stinco al forno (pork shank braised in red wine with vegetables and herbs).

Local wines:
White: Try Valcalepio Bianco, a light dry wine with a delicate fragrance, produced in the small valley between Bergamo and Lago d’Iseo.
Red: Valcalepio Rosso is dry and soft with an intense scent. It is placed on sale every year after 1 November following six months’ refinement in wooden casks. It goes well with red meat, game and polenta and local cheeses, such as taleggio.

Shopping:
One of the main thoroughfares in the Città Bassa in Bergamo is Via XX Settembre, which leads from Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the centre to Largo Nicolo Rezzara at the lower end of Via Sant’Alessandro.
Dubbed ‘the shopping street’ by the Bergamaschi because of the wealth of smart shops that line both sides, Via XX Settembre is actually named after an important event in Italy’s history.
It was on 20 September 1870 that Italian troops under Victor Emanuel II finally entered Rome and completed the unification of Italy .
Rome had remained under French control even after the first Italian parliament had proclaimed Victor Emanuel King of Italy, despite repeated events by nationalists to liberate it.
But after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war Napoleon III withdrew his troops. Italian soldiers seized their chance and after a brief bombardment were able to enter Rome through a breach in the walls at Porta Pia.
Victor Emanuel took up residence in the Quirinale Palace and Italy was declared officially united.
These days shoppers celebrate the anniversary by visiting the top establishments that grace the elegant street such as Calvin Klein, Stefanel, Benetton, Max Mara, Luisa Spagnoli, Marina Rinaldi and Sisley.

Book a room at the Arli Hotel, Bergamo with Hotels.com or compare prices with Expedia UK

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