Emblema dell'eccellenza italiana sin dalla sua fondazione nel 1889, Bonacina 1889 è un Design Brand indipendente a conduzione familiare che, negli anni, ha definito uno stile unico e senza tempo, fatto di sensibilità alla Creatività e all'Arte, cura dei dettagli e utilizzo del Rattan, una materia prima naturale che cresce in Estremo Oriente. Ogni pezzo è tessuto e curvato a mano in Italia da artigiani appassionati: la sapiente e sapiente lavorazione rende i nostri pezzi unici ed estremamente duraturi nel tempo. Ricca di un patrimonio eccezionale, l'azienda ha collaborato con "Maestri" del design italiano come Franco Albini, Franca Helg, Gae Aulenti, Marco Zanuso, Joe Colombo e Gio Ponti, e Decoratori e Architetti riconosciuti a livello internazionale come Renzo Mongiardino, Jacques Grange e Peter Marino in progetti sognanti e all'avanguardia. L'azienda rimane fedele alle materie prime naturali che maggiormente hanno definito la sua cultura, consolidando il know-how, per quanto riguarda il mondo Outdoor, su nuove tecniche e materiali.Bonacina 1889 affonda le sue radici nel territorio del Lago di Como, potendo contare sul know-how del distretto produttivo della Brianza, parte collinare e fertile dell'area a nord di Milano. La filosofia di Bonacina 1889 è fatta di Qualità, Sostenibilità, Autenticità Italiana e Stile di Vita e Tradizione Europea. Emblematic of Italian excellence since its foundation in 1889, Bonacina 1889 is an independent, family-owned Design Brand that, over the years, defined a unique and timeless style, made of sensitivity to Creativity and Arts, attention to detail and use of Rattan, a natural raw material that grows in the Far East. Each piece is hand-woven and curved in Italy by passionate artisans: savvy and skillful workmanship makes our pieces unique and extremely lasting in time. Rich in exceptional heritage, the company has collaborated with Italian Design "Maestri”, such as Franco Albini, Franca Helg, Gae Aulenti, Marco Zanuso, Joe Colombo and Gio Ponti, and Internationally recognized Decorators and Architects like Renzo Mongiardino, Jacques Grange and Peter Marino in dreamy and cutting-edge projects. The company remains faithful to the natural raw materials that mostly defined its culture while consolidating the know-how, regarding the Outdoor world, on new techniques and materials. Bonacina 1889 is rooted in the Lake Como territory, relying on the know-how of the production district of Brianza, a hilly, fertile part of the area north of Milan. Bonacina 1889 philosophy is made of Quality, Sustainability, Italian authenticity and European Lifestyle and Tradition.

The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice. The site was occupied without interruption in all periods of the city's history. It was used as a residential and burial area as early as the Late Neolithic period (3000 B.C.). Early in the 6th century, in the time of Solon, the Agora became a public area. After a series of repairs and remodellings, it reached its final rectangular form in the 2nd century B.C. Extensive building activity occured after the serious damage made by the Persians in 480/79 B.C., by the Romans in 89 B.C. and by the Herulae in A.D. 267 while, after the Slavic invasion in A.D. 580, It was gradually abandoned. From the Byzantine period until after 1834, when Athens became the capital of the independent Greek state, the Agora was again developed as a residential area. The first excavation campaigns were carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society in 1859-1912, and by the German Archaeological Institute in 1896-97. In 1890-91, a deep trench cut for the Athens-Peiraeus Railway brought to light extensive remains of ancient buildings. In 1931 the American School of Classical Studies started the systematic excavations with the financial support of J. Rockefeller and continued until 1941. Work was resumed in 1945 and is still continuing. In order to uncover the whole area of the Agora it was necessary to demolish around 400 modern buildings covering a total area of ca. 12 hectares. In the 19th century the four colossal figures of Giants and Tritons at the facade of the Gymnasium were restored by the Greek Archaeological Society. In the years 1953-56, the Stoa of Attalos was reconstructed to become a museum and in the same period the Byzantine church of Aghioi Apostoloi, built around A.D. 1000, was restored by the American School. Between 1972 and 1975, restoration and preservation work was carried out at the Hephaisteion; the area was cleared of the vegetation, and the roof of the temple was repaired in 1978 by the Archaeological Service.

La Catedral de Sal es una infraestructura que fue construida en el interior de las minas de sal de Zipaquirá, en el departamento de Cundinamarca, Colombia. La antigua catedral fue construida entre 1950 y 1954, mientras que la nueva catedral data de 1995. En su interior se encuentra una rica colección artística, especialmente de esculturas de sal y mármol, en un ambiente lleno de un profundo sentido religioso. La catedral de la Sal de Zipaquirá es considerada como uno de los logros arquitectónicos y artísticos más notables de la arquitectura colombiana, por lo que se le ha otorgado incluso el título de joya arquitectónica de la modernidad. La importancia de la Catedral, radica en su valor como patrimonio cultural, religioso y ambiental. A 180 metros bajo tierra se encuentra un lugar alejado de lo cotidiano, que invita a la reflexión, al autodescubrimiento y al encuentro interno. Con una arquitectura tallada completamente en sal y con diferentes actividades de esparcimiento que lo harán vivir una experiencia única. En el primer tramo del recorrido subterráneo se encuentra el viacrucis, el cual tiene 386 metros de longitud y 13 metros de altura, en donde están dispuestas las 14 estaciones del viacrucis, en su mayoría están ubicadas en las magníficas cámaras largas que componen la Catedral. Estas estaciones fueron talladas en Roca de Sal por los Mineros y representan las diferentes etapas vividas por Jesús hasta su crucifixión y sepultura. La cúpula es el sitio en donde converge el túnel que llega desde las 14 estaciones, con el primer encuentro visual de la gran cámara central de la Catedral de Sal. Allí, las personas se encuentran a tan solo 145 metros de la cruz tallada más grande del mundo. El coro se encuentra en la parte superior de la nave central que forma un balcón y está compuesto por una serie de escaleras totalmente talladas en sal que representa la escala musical. El nártex es una obra compuesta por una serie de paralelepípedos tallados en sal que muestra la formación salina en sus muros y da una sensación de laberintos que, según la historia bíblica, los no bautizados deberían recorrer como acto de penitencia. La iglesia subterránea hace parte del complejo cultural "Parque de la Sal", espacio cultural temático dedicado a la minería, la geología y los recursos naturales.

1834 Dopo 25 anni passati come maestro di cucina al servizio dei Principi di Cattolica, Salvatore Alaimo riceve in dono la cappella sconsacrata di un antico palazzo nel cuore di Palermo. Sulla porta d’ingresso appende una tavola di legno con un’incisione che recita “Focacceria” e decide di cucinare per il popolo. 1848 In onore della Sicilia che festeggia l’indipendenza dai Borboni, il primo governatore del nuovo Regno organizza un banchetto proprio in Focacceria a base di sfincioni, focacce e marsala. 1851 Nasce la “focaccia maritata”, creata da Alaimo per consentire anche alla povera gente di mangiare carne: un taglio economico, ma cucinato in modo raffinato, viene aggiunto alla tradizionale “focaccia schietta” (nubile). 1860 Prima di risalire l’Italia per unificarla, Giuseppe Garibaldi si ferma a Palermo, accampandosi nella piazza della Focacceria, che per una decina di giorni diventa la sua mensa quotidiana. 1861 La nobiltà palermitana si scaglia contro la Focacceria S. Francesco, che svela e diffonde al pubblico l’ottima “pasta ch’i sardi”, fino a quel momento, preparazione riservata alle mense reali. La ricetta è la stessa utilizzata ancora oggi. 1890 Da Pirandello a Sciascia a Guttuso, sono decine gli illustri scrittori e artisti che si incontrano abitualmente alla Focacceria, che diventa così un caffè letterario, una sorta di circolo culturale. 1901 L’architetto Ernesto Basile, mentre siede insieme al noto Vincenzo Florio a un tavolo della Focacceria, disegna su una tovaglia l’attuale logo, il prospetto del locale, i tavoli in ghisa e le sedie in ferro battuto. 1902 A 60 anni dalla nascita, il locale viene definitivamente battezzato “Antica Focacceria San Francesco” e nel menù entrano nuove deliziose pietanze, presenti ancora oggi: arancine, panelle e sarde a beccafico, per citarne alcune. 1834 After 25 years spent as a cooking master in the service of the Princes of Cattolica, Salvatore Alaimo receives as a gift the deconsecrated chapel of an ancient palace in the heart of Palermo. On the front door he hangs a wooden board with an engraving that reads "Focacceria" and decides to cook for the people. 1848 In honor of Sicily, which celebrates independence from the Bourbons, the first governor of the new Kingdom organizes a banquet at the Focacceria based on sfincioni, focaccia and marsala. 1851 The “married focaccia” was born, created by Alaimo to allow poor people to eat meat: an economical cut, but cooked in a refined way, is added to the traditional “sincere focaccia” (single). 1860 Before going up to Italy to unify it, Giuseppe Garibaldi stops in Palermo, camping in the Focacceria square, which for about ten days becomes his daily canteen. 1861 The Palermitan nobility lashes out against the Focacceria S. Francesco, which reveals and disseminates to the public the excellent "pasta ch'i sardi", up to that moment, a preparation reserved for royal tables. The recipe is the same still used today. 1890 From Pirandello to Sciascia to Guttuso, there are dozens of illustrious writers and artists who usually meet at the Focacceria, which thus becomes a literary café, a sort of cultural circle. 1901 the architect Ernesto Basile, while sitting together with the well-known Vincenzo Florio at a table in the Focacceria, draws the current logo, the façade of the restaurant, the cast iron tables and the wrought iron chairs on a tablecloth. 1902 60 years after its birth, the place was definitively baptized "Antica Focacceria San Francesco" and new delicious dishes enter the menu, still present today: arancine, panelle and sardines a beccafico, to name a few.

1885 Apre l'osteria Manuelina, frequentata negli anni da grandi come Montale, D'Annunzio ed Einstein: inizia la rivoluzione della Focaccia di Recco. Manuelina si sposta nella sede attuale e diventa il ristorante tipico amato da tanti buongustai e citato da Umberto Eco nel Pendolo di Foucault. Nasce la Focacceria Manuelina, un fast food tipico a pochi metri dal Ristorante. La Focacceria Manuelina sbarca a Milano con il secondo punto vendita nell’Annex Rinascente. È l’anno di una nuova grande rivoluzione! Il Ristorante diventa Il Ristorante Gourmet, per un’esperienza ancora più immersiva e di gusto. Oggi siamo noi, i pronipoti di Manuelina, a portare avanti la tradizione. Negli anni siamo riusciti a mantenere la sua passione, la sua dedizione e il suo rispetto per la qualità della cucina e delle materie prime fino a far diventare “Manuelina” un vero e proprio brand che racchiude il rinomato Ristorante, un Taste Hotel a 4 stelle, un prestigioso catering e naturalmente la nostra Focacceria Bistrot. In 1885 the Manuelina tavern opens, frequented over the years by greats such as Montale, D'Annunzio and Einstein: the Focaccia di Recco revolution begins. 1960 Manuelina moves to its current location and becomes the typical restaurant loved by many gourmets and mentioned by Umberto Eco in Foucault's Pendulum. Focacceria Manuelina is born, a typical fast food a few meters from the restaurant. Focacceria Manuelina arrives in Milan with the second store in the Annex Rinascente. It is the year of a new great revolution! The Restaurant becomes the Gourmet Restaurant, for an even more immersive and tasteful experience. Today we, the great-grandchildren of Manuelina, carry on the tradition. Over the years we have managed to maintain his passion, his dedication and his respect for the quality of the cuisine and raw materials until "Manuelina" becomes a real brand that includes the renowned Restaurant, a 4-star Taste Hotel, a prestigious catering and of course our Focacceria Bistrot.

Il Gambrinus: il più importante Caffè di Napoli. Tra i locali più celebri della penisola, membro dell'Associazione Culturale Locali Storici d'Italia, salotto letterario partenopeo, celebre galleria d'arte, animatore della cultura cittadina, questi in breve i tratti d'eccellenza del Caffè che dal 1860 è punto di riferimento tra i più importanti della cultura della nostra città. La storia del Gran Caffè Gambrinus inizia con l'Unità di Italia quando, nel 1860, al piano terra del palazzo della Foresteria, l'elegante edificio del 1816 che oggi ospita la sede della Prefettura, viene aperto il “Gran Caffè”. Affacciato direttamente su Piazza Plebiscito e Palazzo Reale, il Caffè diventa in breve tempo il salotto del bel mondo cittadino. La fama dovuta all'opera dei migliori pasticceri, gelatai e baristi provenienti da tutta Europa procura subito al Caffè la benevolenza della famiglia reale e il riconoscimento per decreto di “Fornitore della Real Casa”, onorificenza tributata dai Savoia soltanto ai migliori fornitori del Regno delle due Sicilie. Nel 1885 il Gran Caffè sembra essere sul punto di chiudere, ma di lì a poco le sue sale sarebbero state aperte ai napoletani e ai viaggiatori in una nuova più grande magnificenza. Nel 1890, infatti, Mariano Vacca, uomo avveduto e frequentatore di artisti e attori, prende in fitto i locali della Foresteria e ne affida la ristrutturazione all'architetto Antonio Curri, docente di Architettura, nonché Ornato nella Real Università di Napoli e professore onorario dell'Istituto di Belle Arti. Grazie alla perizia di più di quaranta tra artigiani e artisti, il Caffè diventa uno scrigno prezioso di opere d'arte: le sale vengono decorate con i marmi di Jenny e Fiore, gli stucchi del Bocchetta, i bassorilievi del Cepparulo e le tappezzerie del Porcelli; le pareti decorate dai più importanti paesaggisti napoletani. Il Caffè diventa una preziosa galleria d'arte nel cuore nobile di Napoli e viene valorizzata con l'ultima conquista della modernità, l'illuminazione elettrica. Per festeggiare la rinascita, il Caffè viene ribattezzato “Gran Caffè Gambrinus”, in nome del leggendario re delle Fiandre inventore della birra. L'intenzione è quella di fondere nell'immaginario le due più famose bevande d'Europa: la birra, nordica, bionda e fredda, e il caffè, scuro, bollente, piacere tipicamente napoletano. Inaugurato ufficialmente il 3 novembre 1890, il Gran Caffè Gambrinus diventa da subito il cuore della vita mondana, culturale e letteraria della città: re, regine, politici, giornalisti, letterati e artisti di fama internazionale ne fanno il luogo dove incontrarsi, discutere e scrivere versi, come nella migliore tradizione europea del caffè letterario. Le sale iniziano ad essere indicate per l'argomento degli incontri e dei simposi che vi si tengono: la sala politica, la sala della vita, la sala rotonda. Il Caffè è ormai tappa obbligata per qualsiasi visita della città: non c'è un solo viaggiatore che, arrivato a Napoli, rinunci a fare sosta al Gran Caffè Gambrinus. Lo storico locale partenopeo è sbocciato nel periodo della Belle Epoqué; infatti durante gli anni del primo novecento era il centro della cultura e dell'arte della città; ricordiamo tra gli ospiti più illustri l'imperatrice d'Austria Sissi, che degustò un ottimo gelato alla violetta, Gabriele D'Annunzio che scrisse al Gambrinus i versi della celebre canzone “A'vucchella”, Matilde Serao che fondò il quotidiano “Il Mattino” seduta proprio ai tavolini del caffè, Benedetto Croce che fece di Napoli la sua seconda città, lo scrittore irlandese Oscar Wilde che si recò nella città partenopea con Lord Alfred Douglas dopo i tristi giorni di prigionia, Ernest Hemingway, il filosofo francese Jean-Paul Sartre che scrisse pensieri su Napoli ai tavolini del Gambrinus “davanti a una granita che guardavo malinconicamente mentre si scioglieva nella sua coppa di smalto” e tantissimi altri. Sull'onda francese anche a Napoli verso la fine dell'Ottocento arrivò il Cafè Chantant o detto anche Caffè Concerto. Insieme al Salone Margherita, il Gambrinus fu uno dei ritrovi più frequentati dalla nobiltà napoletana. Con il passare del tempo, nella versione napoletana del Cafè Chantant si andò a delineare e a definire la figura della “sciantosa”, personaggio principale del concerto (il termine deriva da una storpiatura della lingua napoletana della parola francese chanteuse che letteralmente significa “cantante”. Il Gran Caffè Gambrinus prosperò fino al 1938 quando il prefetto Marziale ne ordinò la chiusura perché considerato luogo antifascista e da quel giorno i locali furono ceduti in parte al Banco di Napoli. Dei fasti che vide il Gambrinus, con questa scissione rimase solo il ricordo, imboccando una triste strada di decadenza. Agli inizi degli anni '70 Michele Sergio dà inizio alla battaglia per recuperare i locali del Caffè situato nel cuore di Napoli. Grazie al lavoro minuzioso di restauro degli antichi stucchi e di recupero dei pregevoli affreschi, il Gran Caffè Gambrinus rinasce a nuovo splendore. La battaglia è vinta. Napoli si riappropria della sua storia. Riportato ai suoi antichi fasti, il Gran Caffè Gambrinus torna ad essere il cuore pulsante e il salotto elegante della città. Oggi, il lavoro di valorizzazione iniziato da Michele Sergio è portato avanti dai figli Arturo e Antonio Sergio che fanno ancora grande l'unico storico caffè letterario della città di Napoli. The history of the Gran Caffè Gambrinus begins with the unification of Italy when, in 1860, the “Gran Caffè” was opened on the ground floor of the Foresteria building, the elegant 1816 building which now houses the headquarters of the Prefecture. Directly overlooking Piazza Plebiscito and Palazzo Reale, the café quickly becomes the living room of the beautiful city world. The fame due to the work of the best pastry chefs, ice cream makers and baristas from all over Europe immediately procured the benevolence of the royal family and the recognition by decree of "Supplier of the Royal House", an honor bestowed by the Savoy only to the best suppliers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In 1885 the Gran Caffè seems to be about to close, but soon its rooms would be opened to Neapolitans and travelers in a new, greater magnificence. In 1890, in fact, Mariano Vacca, a shrewd man and frequenter of artists and actors, rented the premises of the Foresteria and entrusted the renovation to the architect Antonio Curri, professor of Architecture, as well as Ornato at the Royal University of Naples and honorary professor of 'Institute of Fine Arts. Thanks to the expertise of more than forty artisans and artists, the Café becomes a precious treasure chest of works of art: the rooms are decorated with Jenny and Fiore marbles, the stuccoes by Bocchetta, the bas-reliefs of Cepparulo and the tapestries of Porcelli; the walls decorated by the most important Neapolitan landscape architects. The Caffè becomes a precious art gallery in the noble heart of Naples and is enhanced with the latest conquest of modernity, electric lighting. To celebrate the rebirth, the coffee is renamed “Gran Caffè Gambrinus”, in the name of the legendary king of Flanders, inventor of beer. The intention is to fuse in the imagination the two most famous drinks in Europe: beer, Nordic, blonde and cold, and coffee, dark, hot, a typically Neapolitan pleasure. Officially inaugurated on November 3, 1890, the Gran Caffè Gambrinus immediately became the heart of the social, cultural and literary life of the city: kings, queens, politicians, journalists, writers and artists of international fame make it the place to meet, discuss and write verses, as in the best European tradition of literary coffee. The rooms begin to be indicated for the subject of the meetings and symposia that are held there: the political room, the room of life, the round room. The Caffè is now a must for any visit to the city: there is not a single traveler who, having arrived in Naples, gives up stopping at the Gran Caffè Gambrinus. The Neapolitan local historian blossomed during the Belle Epoqué period; in fact during the years of the early twentieth century it was the center of culture and art of the city; we remember among the most illustrious guests the empress of Austria Sissi, who tasted an excellent violet ice cream, Gabriele D'Annunzio who wrote to Gambrinus the verses of the famous song "A'vucchella", Matilde Serao who founded the newspaper "The morning" sitting right at the coffee tables, Benedetto Croce who made Naples his second city, the Irish writer Oscar Wilde who went to the Neapolitan city with Lord Alfred Douglas after the sad days of imprisonment, Ernest Hemingway, the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre who wrote thoughts about Naples at the tables of the Gambrinus "in front of a slush that I looked sadly as it melted in its enamel cup" and many others. On the French wave also in Naples towards the end of the nineteenth century the Cafè Chantant or also called Caffè Concerto arrived. Together with the Salone Margherita, the Gambrinus was one of the most popular haunts of the Neapolitan nobility. Over time, in the Neapolitan version of the Cafè Chantant the figure of the "sciantosa" was outlined and defined, the main character of the concert (the term derives from a distortion of the Neapolitan language of the French word chanteuse which literally means "singer". The Gran Caffè Gambrinus prospered until 1938 when the prefect Martial ordered its closure because it was considered an anti-fascist place and from that day the premises were partly sold to the Banco di Napoli. Of the glories that Gambrinus saw, with this split only the memory remained, taking a sad path of decadence. At the beginning of the 70s, Michele Sergio began the battle to recover the premises of the café located in the heart of Naples. Thanks to the meticulous restoration of the ancient stuccos and the recovery of the valuable frescoes, the Gran Caffè Gambrinus is reborn to a new splendor. The battle is won. Naples regains its history. Returned to its former glory, the Gran Caffè Gambrinus is once again the beating heart and elegant lounge of the city. Today, the enhancement work started by Michele Sergio is carried out by his sons Arturo and Antonio Sergio who still make the only historic literary café in the city of Naples great.

Benvenuti “Al Vèdel” e “Podere Cadassa”. La nostra storia inizia da qui. Da questo piccolo lembo di terra adagiato sulle sponde del Grande Fiume, racchiuso fra il silenzio della campagna agreste e la magnificenza di quello che fu il Gran Ducato di Parma e Piacenza. Da una parte il fiume Po a delimitare quel caleidoscopio di uomini e racconti che è il Mondo Piccolo narrato da Guareschi e dall’altra parte la Reggia Ducale, la piccola Versailles, nelle cui stanze ancora oggi si rivivono i fasti della vita di corte. Siamo a Colorno, alle porte di Parma. Siamo nella Bassa parmense. Siamo nella Food Valley italiana. È da qui che veniamo ed è da qui che parte il nostro racconto. Tutto ebbe inizio nel lontano 1780, quando l’anziana zia Cleofe decise di trasformare il proprio rustico in uno spaccio di generi alimentari e posto di ristoro per viandanti. “Dalla Siora” aprì le sue porte a viaggiatori, commercianti e compaesani. “Dalla Siora” si poteva trovare ristoro, ci si informava, si riposava. Come in famiglia. La famiglia Bergonzi che continuò negli anni la tradizione dell’ospitalità e dell’amore per la buona cucina, con la trattoria “Marietta” nel 1927, “Da Ernesto” nel 1962 e infine con il ristorante “Al Vèdel” nel 1976. In campagna tutto era fatto in casa. Anche la cucina era artigianalità. E così, come vuole la tradizione di questa terra, a fianco del rustico si trovava il Podere Cadassa, il piccolo laboratorio di famiglia per la produzione dei salumi tipici del parmense, a partire dal più nobile degli insaccati: il Culatello. Il lavoro artigianale delle sapienti mani dei norcini veniva così offerto agli avventori del locale, proprio come succede oggi ai clienti de “Al Vèdel”. “Al Vèdel” è il nome che abbiamo deciso di conservare per il nostro ristorante. “Al Vèdel”, perché la cucina non è solo una questione di famiglia, ma anche di territorio. O almeno questo è quello che proponiamo noi tutti i giorni ai nostri ospiti e che qui si ha la certezza di trovare. “Al Vèdel” è infatti il nome dialettale de “Le Vedole”, la piccola località alle porte di Colorno, dove, da quel lontano 1780, la nostra famiglia ha il piacere di accogliere quei viandanti che nel corso del tempo sono diventati clienti, turisti, gourmand. Tradizione, qualità e ricerca. Questa è la nostra cucina, questo è il nostro sapere, questa è la nostra arte. A family history. A centuries-long history. A story of flavors. Welcome to “Al Vèdel” and “Podere Cadassa”. The Our story starts here. From this small strip of land lying on the banks of the Great River, enclosed between the silence of the rural countryside and the magnificence of what was once the Grand Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. On the one hand the Po river delimiting that kaleidoscope of men and tales that is the Little World narrated by Guareschi and on the other hand the Ducal Palace, the little Versailles, in whose rooms the glories of court life are still relived today. We are in Colorno, on the outskirts of Parma. We are in the Parma lowlands. We are in the Italian Food Valley. This is where we come from and this is where our story starts. It all began back in 1780, when the elderly aunt Cleofe decided to transform her cottage into a grocery store and a refreshment place for travelers. “Dalla Siora” opened its doors to travelers, traders and fellow villagers. "From the Siora" you could find refreshment, you inquired, you rested. Like in the family. The Bergonzi family who continued the tradition of hospitality and love for good food over the years, with the restaurant "Marietta" in 1927, "Da Ernesto" in 1962 and finally with the restaurant "Al Vèdel" in 1976. In the countryside everything was homemade. The cooking was also handcrafted. And so, according to the tradition of this land, the Podere Cadassa was located next to the cottage, the small family workshop for the production of typical Parma cured meats, starting with the noblest of sausages: Culatello. The craftsmanship of the skilled hands of the butchers was thus offered to the patrons of the restaurant, just as happens today to the customers of “Al Vèdel”. “Al Vèdel” is the name we have decided to keep for our restaurant. “Al Vèdel”, because cooking is not just a matter of family, but also of territory. Or at least this is what we offer to our guests every day and that you are sure to find here. "Al Vèdel" is in fact the dialectal name of "Le Vedole", the small town on the outskirts of Colorno, where, since that distant 1780, our family has the pleasure of welcoming those travelers who over time have become customers, tourists, gourmand. Tradition, quality and research. This is our cuisine, this is our knowledge, this is our art.

Dal 1870 il Finsterwirt Oste Scuro è la meta ideale per chi è alla ricerca del buon cibo, del buon vino e di un’atmosfera unica. Accanto alla piazza del Duomo di Bressanone, questo antico locale offre qualità autentica senza compromessi e all’insegna di un‘ospitalità che si perpetua ogni giorno, a pranzo e a cena. Lo chef Hubert Ploner cucina piatti creativi e raffinati, realizzati principalmente con prodotti Slowfood, biologici e di provenienza regionale. La carta dei vini sorprende con più di 400 etichette che descrivono non solo l’Alto Adige ma anche altre regioni italiane ed estere. Accomodatevi nelle sale storiche o sulla terrazza con un magnifico pergolato e lasciatevi viziare dalla famiglia Mayr e dal loro team. Se siete qui è perché ve lo siete meritato. Alto Adige, alta cucina. La qualità dei prodotti di prima classe e la creatività dello chef Hubert Ploner fanno del Finsterwirt Oste Scuro un luogo di culto gastronomico nel bel mezzo della città vecchia. A pranzo o a cena, chi visita Bressanone almeno una volta deve fermarsi qui, questo è poco ma sicuro. The Finsterwirt Oste Scuro has been a haven for food connoisseurs since 1870 and boasts delectable menus, refined wines, and a unique ambience. The building is steeped in history and is located right next to Piazza Duomo in Bressanone. Genuine quality and outstanding service are what you come to expect when dining at the restaurant which serves mouth-watering meals every day. Chef Hubert Ploner follows the Slow Food principles and creatively mixes organic and regional ingredients to prepare refined dishes. The wine menu is a veritable encyclopaedia of more than 400 South Tyrolean, Italian, and international labels. Take a step back in time as you sit down in these wood-panelled dining rooms, or head out to the terrace and its beautiful arbour. The Mayr family will take care of your every need: after all, you are worth it. Refined palates feel right at home in South Tyrol. Even more so at the Finsterwirt Oste Scuro. Chef Hubert Ploner deftly and creatively uses exceptional ingredients for his dishes, and the meals have made the restaurant the go-to place at the heart of the old city centre. In other words: when visiting Bressanone lunch or dinner here are an absolute must.

I am Elnet Girly Ndlovu. I am 29 years old. I was born and raised in Mpumalanga, South Africa. I graduated from high school in the year 2012 and am currently studying for a higher certificate in economics and management sciences through the university of South Africa. I have also obtained a certificate in business administration and Computer literacy, of which I seek to study further to do entrepreneurship. I began my career as a customer service representative in 2014. Naturally, I have a growth mindset that enables me to grow and to help me by learning from mistakes to improve myself continually. I am kind, loving, caring and a person who is full of empathy often. I am a go-getter, positive, bubbly person who loves a positive fun filled environment. I am self-motivated and also enjoy motivating my team members. I work well in a team or individually. I am passionate about education, uplifting others, entrepreneurship and making a better society for the future generation to come while walking the journey of self-discovery I have more than four years experience in customer service and administration combined with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Administrative Assistance, Meeting Scheduling, Executive Support. I have excellent interpersonal skills, I am also a fast learner and adapt quickly to a new environment My hobbies are reading books, listening to music, walking and learning new things.

Storica pasticceria milanese fondata nel 1817. Luogo di incontro e di incanto famoso in tutto il mondo, Cova celebra l’artigianalità, l’italianità e l’eccellenza, offrendo a una clientela d’élite cosmopolita prodotti di sublime qualità. Corre l'anno 1817 quando Antonio Cova apre il "Caffe del Giardino" al lato del Teatro alla Scala. Le sale sfolgoranti di specchi e lampadari diventano ritrovo del bel mondo dell'epoca e profumano di spirito patriottico, animato di fervore anti-austriaco gli spiriti dell'epoca. Distrutto dai bombardamenti della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, nel 1950 il Cova muove dalla sede originaria verso l'attuale sito di Via Montenapoleone 8, dove diventa un salotto elegante e raffinato, riproponendo arredi ed ambienti mutuati da quelli originari. Distrutto dai bombardamenti della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, nel 1950 il Cova muove dalla sede originaria verso l'attuale sito di Via Montenapoleone 8, dove diventa un salotto elegante e raffinato, riproponendo arredi ed ambienti mutuati da quelli originari. L’espansione internazionale del marchio ha iniziato nel 1993, quando Cova apre ad Hong Kong SAR il suo primo negozio oltre frontiera. Nel 2013 diventa parte del Gruppo LVMH e continua la sua espansione nel mondo. Nascono quindi boutique di Pasticceria in Cina, a Taiwan, negli Emirati Arabi e nella vicina Montecarlo. La storia di Cova si intreccia a quella della città e dei suoi momenti più rappresentativi. Ritrovo di una clientela cosmopolita, di borghesia e nobiltà, il Cova entra a pieno titolo nella storia e nelle storie di Milano. Cortesia e accoglienza sono punti fermi dell'arte di ricevere, che punta a servire la clientela con garbo, gusto e riservatezza. Unendo una presenza attenta al più piccolo cenno e la cordialità di professionisti del settore, nasce un ambiente raffinato dove musica soffusa, tovaglie di lino e divanetti in velluto ospitano esponenti del jet set, viaggiatori accaniti e semplici curiosi. Cova is one of Italy’s oldest pasticceria and an international destination. Celebrated for its product excellence, impeccable service and fascinating interiors, Cova is an institution that exalts tailored craftsmanship and creativity. Founded in 1817 by Antonio Cova –a Napoleonic soldier– Cova is one of Italy’s oldest pasticceria. Celebrated for its product excellence, impeccable service and exquisite interiors, this historical Milanese institution has always been a place where tradition meets elegance and style. Fashionable rendez-vous for patriots of the Risorgimento, those days Cova hosted the very representatives of the high society and the most stylish crowd. And it has never stopped: from Giuseppe Verdi to Ernst Hemingway to contemporary élite, even after the relocation to Via Montenapoleone 8 in 1950. In 1993 Cova inaugurated its first venue in Hong Kong SAR, beginning its worldwide expansion. Today Cova, part of the LVMH Group since 2013, is present in Hong Kong SAR, Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan, Monte Carlo and Dubai, recreating the traditional Italian combination of creativity and elegance around the world. Milanese culture has inspired and energized Cova that has unveiled its pastry making art, conquering the senses and touching the imagination of its nobility and bourgeoisie. The heritage of the city evolved with Cova, one being essential to the other. The ardor and the artisanal know-how of its Chefs, the exceptional quality of its products and the inner art of hospitality of its discrete service initiated the unique Cova experience in the 19th century and continue nowadays magnifying its heritage and matching the needs of an increasingly conscious clientele.

Il caffè prende il nome dal suo proprietario greco (greco in italiano) che lo aprì nel 1760. Personaggi storici tra cui Stendhal, Goethe, Arthur Schopenhauer, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Mariano Fortuny, Byron, Franz Liszt, Keats, Henrik Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Felix Mendelssohn, Wagner, Levi, María Zambrano, Lawrence Ferlinghetti e persino Casanova hanno preso il caffè lì. Per più di due secoli e mezzo, il Caffè Greco è rimasto un rifugio per scrittori, politici, artisti e personaggi illustri a Roma. Trenta secoli fa una colonia greca si stabilì intorno a Piazza di Spagna e vi fondò il "Caffè Greco". A quei tempi la piazza era un lago, come lo diventa ancora nei giorni di pioggia. Romolo e Remo, quando furono sazi del latte di lupa, sorseggiarono allegramente la bevanda fuligginosa, che un cameriere del Caffè Greco portava loro di nascosto. Casanova, Goethe, Gogol, Stendhal, Byron, Andersen e altri grandi personaggi frequentavano la bottega fondata dagli Elleni. Nel 1918 nasce l'intenzione di istituire un circolo di studi in alcuni spiriti eletti. Tre volte si radunarono in una polverosa biblioteca, ma era filosofico ei concetti che impregnavano l'aria oscuravano tanto quegli spiriti, da mortificare la loro primitiva divisione. Discordanti e disperati si separarono, finché una voce si levò di nuovo a raccoglierli. The café was named after its Greek (Greco in Italian) owner, who opened it in 1760. Historic figures including Stendhal, Goethe, Arthur Schopenhauer, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Mariano Fortuny, Byron, Franz Liszt, Keats, Henrik Ibsen, Hans Christian Andersen, Felix Mendelssohn, Wagner, Levi, María Zambrano, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and even Casanova have had coffee there. For more than two centuries and a half, the Caffè Greco has remained a haven for writers, politicians, artists and notable people in Rome. Thirty centuries ago a Greek colony took up residence around Piazza di Spagna and founded the "Greek Coffee" there. In those days the square was a lake, as it still becomes on rainy days. Romulus and Remus, when they were sated with she-wolf milk, happily sipped the sooty drink, which a waiter from the Caffè Greco brought them secretly. Casanova, Goethe, Gogol, Stendhal, Byron, Andersen and other great people frequented the shop founded by the Hellenes. In 1918 the intention of setting up a circle of studies was born in some chosen spirits. Three times they gathered in a dusty library, but it was philosophical and the concepts which impregnated the air so darkened those spirits, as to mortify their primitive division. Discordant and desperate they parted, until a voice rose again to gather them.

Il Caffè Florian fu aperto il 29 dicembre 1720 a Venezia in Piazza S.Marco da Floriano Francesconi con il nome di “Alla Venezia Trionfante”, ma ben presto la clientela prese l’abitudine di chiamarlo “Florian”. Nei quasi tre secoli di vita il Florian è stato meta di incontro di artisti, scrittori, intellettuali, politici e personaggi illustri come Lord Byron, Goethe e Casanova. Simbolo di stile e qualità il brand Florian propone una selezione di prodotti esclusivi e prestigiosi che rappresentano l’arte di vivere con eleganza. La gamma Gourmet, la linea Lifestyle e la collezione Design si distinguono per la raffinatezza dello stile italiano e l’eccellente qualità dei prodotti. Disponibili nei corner presso i Florian di Venezia, Firenze e Londra. Caffè Florian first opened its doors in St. Mark’s Square, Venice in 1720, baptised “Alla Venezia Trionfante” by its owner Floriano Francesconi, but the clientele soon took to calling it simply “Florian”. For nearly three centuries Florian has also been the meeting-place of famous artists, writers, intellectuals and politicians such as Lord Byron, Goethe and Casanova. The symbol of style and quality, the Florian brand name offers a selection of exclusive and prestigious products representing the art of elegant living. The Gourmet range, the Lifestyle line and the Design collection are characterized by refined Italian taste and the excellent quality of the products.

Il Pedrocchi è uno dei simboli di Padova, luogo eletto per la degustazione del caffè e della cucina. Riconosciuto come la sede più esclusiva del centro della città dove realizzare gli eventi più importanti e spettacolari. Senza nome, del prato senza erba e del caffè senza porte”: la Basilica di S. Antonio, detta “del Santo”‚ il Prato della Valle, fino all’800 privo d’erba, e il Caffè Pedrocchi, “senza porte” perché rimase aperto giorno e notte dall’inaugurazione nel 1831 fino al 1916. La presenza a Padova di un Gran caffè internazionale si deve ad Antonio Pedrocchi, famoso caffettiere, citato da Stendhal ne “La certosa di Parma”. Ai primi dell’800 nei numerosi caffè si mescolavano nobili e borghesi, intellettuali e popolani. Antonio Pedrocchi sognava un caffè monumentale, dall’architettura rappresentativa e funzionale, situato proprio al centro della città, di fronte all’Università e alla Gendarmeria Austriaca e chiamò a realizzarlo Giuseppe Jappelli, famoso architetto ed ingegnere di idee illuministe e profondo conoscitore del gusto asburgico che lo inaugurò nel 1831. Divenne presto crocevia di intellettuali e letterati “luogo dove nascevano le idee”, dove si organizzavano feste, balli, riunioni massoniche e persino trattative commerciali, un punto di riferimento per i padovani, ma anche per i viaggiatori e gli uomini d’affari provenienti da tutta la Penisola che in quest’imponente edificio neoclassico trovavano sempre accoglienza e ristoro. Il successo fu immediato e il caffè divenne ritrovo di studenti, artisti e letterati come Ippolito Nievo o Giovanni Prati, ma anche di patrioti, come Arnaldo Fusinato. Tra gli ospiti illustri oltre a Stendhal, si ricordano Alfred De Musset, George Sand, Téophile Gauthier, Gabriele d’Annunzio, Eleonora Duse, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti e molti altri. Lasciato in dono al Comune di Padova, con l’impegno “di promuovere e sviluppare tutti quei miglioramenti che verranno portati dal progresso dei tempi, mettendolo a livello di questi e nulla trascurando, onde nel suo genere possa mantenere il primato in Italia”, il Caffè Pedrocchi ha ormai conquistato una posizione privilegiata nel centro e nel cuore di Padova. Pedrocchi is one of the symbols of Padua, a place chosen for tasting coffee and cooking. Recognized as the most exclusive venue in the city center where the most important and spectacular events are held. Without a name, of the lawn without grass and of the café without doors: the Basilica of S. Antonio, known as "del Santo"‚ the Prato della Valle, up to the 19th century without grass, and the Caffè Pedrocchi, "without doors" because it remained open day and night from its inauguration in 1831 until 1916. The presence in Padua of a great international coffee is due to Antonio Pedrocchi, famous coffee maker, mentioned by Stendhal in "La Certosa di Parma". At the beginning of the 19th century, nobles and bourgeois, intellectuals and commoners mixed in the numerous cafés. Antonio Pedrocchi dreamed of a monumental café, with a representative and functional architecture, located right in the center of the city, in front of the University and the Austrian Gendarmerie, and he called Giuseppe Jappelli, famous architect and engineer of Enlightenment ideas and profound connoisseur of Habsburg taste to build it. who inaugurated it in 1831. It soon became a crossroads for intellectuals and writers "a place where ideas were born", where parties, dances, Masonic meetings and even commercial negotiations were organized, a point of reference for Paduans, but also for travelers and businessmen from the whole peninsula which always found welcome and refreshment in this imposing neoclassical building. Success was immediate and the café became a meeting place for students, artists and writers such as Ippolito Nievo or Giovanni Prati, but also for patriots, such as Arnaldo Fusinato. In addition to Stendhal, the illustrious guests include Alfred De Musset, George Sand, Téophile Gauthier, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Eleonora Duse, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and many others. Left as a gift to the Municipality of Padua.

L'attività della ditta Mulassano comincia nella seconda metà dell'800, con apertura di una bottiglieria in via Nizza 3. L'allora proprietario, Amilcare Mulassano, era titolare anche della rinomata Distilleria Sacco, produttrice del famoso sciroppo di menta. Nel 1907, il locale fu poi trasferito nella più centrale piazza Castello luogo che non ha più lasciato. Nel corso dei primi anni il locale si trasformò in Caffè. Angela Nebiolo era andata sposa bambina a Detroit, negli Stati Uniti, dove il marito e i cognati gestivano ristoranti e locali notturni. Aveva 15 anni. Il lavoro non la spaventava: l'appassionava quel mondo nuovo e frenetico: scoprì l'automobile, prese la patente giovanissima. Ma, nel cuore, le batteva forte la nostalgia: avrebbe dato l'America intera pur di tornare a Torino, la sua città natale. E così fu: nel 1925 Angela e Onorino Nebiolo, che nel frattempo avevano avuto due figli, tornarono in Italia con il proposito di gestire un locale tutto loro. In quei mesi la famiglia Mulassano aveva messo in vendita il proprio scrigno prezioso: il caffè Mulassano. Ai coniugi non parve vero e con i risparmi accumulati in America, comprarono il locale. La spesa: 300 mila lire di allora per la sola licenza. Con l'intento di ridare vigore agli affari del locale, cercarono di ideare delle nuove proposte da accompagnare all'aperitivo. Avevano portato con sé dagli States una macchina che tostava il pane: così importarono, per primi a Torino, il toast. Non paghi di questa innovazione, pensarono di utilizzare quel pane morbidissimo, usato per i toast, senza tostatura e con una speciale e più intensa farcitura: fu così che il signor Onorino inventò il tramezzino. Dapprima lo serviva in accompagnamento agli aperitivi, poi, visto il successo, lo propose per lo spuntino di mezzogiorno dei tanti impiegati e delle sartine di via Roma e via Po. Alcuni anni più tardi, Gabriele D'Annunzio gli diede il nome che ora conosciamo: "tramezzino". Furono anni intensi e di grandi successi; la buvette divenne popolarissima, come è oggi. Ci andava un giovane studente in medicina allora sconosciuto: Achille Mario Dogliotti; ci tornò spesso anche da affermato chirurgo. Per l'aperitivo venivano Luigi Spazzapan e Italo Cremona, Gigi Chessa e Giacomo Grosso, Gigetta Morano e Caterina Boratto. La Torino dell'arte e del cinema oltre che la Torino d'ogni giorno. Fra i più assidui Mario Soldati e Gianandrea Gavazzeni che hanno frequentato il Mulassano per decenni. Nel 1938 i coniugi Nebiolo vendettero il locale per andare a gestire alcuni cinematografi della periferia e il locale, con la guerra conobbe un periodo di declino. I suoi tesori sparirono sotto la calce. Negli anni '70 il Mulassano è tornato quello del commendatore Amilcare e di Onorino grazie ad un accurato restauro che l'allora titolare, Antonio Chessa, svolse con grande pazienza e sapienza. La nipote di Antonio Chessa, Vanna, insieme a un nuovo socio Patrizio Abrate, ne conserva oggi la tradizione e la cura, illuminati da quella passione per la quale lo zio ha dedicato una vita. Oggi il locale è come fu pensato da Antonio Vandone e rimane patrimonio della città di Torino e di chi ne vuole godere la bellezza. The activity of the Mulassano company began in the second half of the 19th century, with the opening of a bottle shop in via Nizza 3. The then owner, Amilcare Mulassano, was also the owner of the renowned Sacco Distillery, producer of the famous mint syrup. In 1907, the restaurant was then moved to the more central Piazza Castello, a place it has never left. During the first few years the place was transformed into a café. Angela Nebiolo had gone as a child bride to Detroit, in the United States, where her husband and in-laws ran restaurants and nightclubs. He was 15. Work did not scare her: she was passionate about that new and frenetic world: she discovered the car, got her driving license very young. But nostalgia beat strongly in her heart: she would have given the whole of America to return to Turin, her hometown. And so it was: in 1925 Angela and Onorino Nebiolo, who in the meantime had had two children, returned to Italy with the intention of running their own place. In those months the Mulassano family had put their precious treasure chest up for sale: Mulassano coffee. To the spouses it didn't seem real and with the savings accumulated in America, they bought the place. The cost: 300 thousand lire at the time for the license alone. With the intention of reviving the business of the place, they tried to come up with new proposals to accompany the aperitif. They had brought with them from the States a machine that toasted bread: so they were the first to import toast in Turin. Not satisfied with this innovation, they thought of using that very soft bread, used for toast, without toasting and with a special and more intense filling: this was how Mr. Onorino invented the sandwich. At first he served it as an accompaniment to aperitifs, then, given its success, he proposed it for the midday snack of the many employees and tailors of via Roma and via Po. A few years later, Gabriele D'Annunzio gave it the name we now know: "sandwich". They were intense and successful years; the buvette became hugely popular, as it is today. A young medical student then unknown went there: Achille Mario Dogliotti; he also often returned as a well-known surgeon. For the aperitif came Luigi Spazzapan and Italo Cremona, Gigi Chessa and Giacomo Grosso, Gigetta Morano and Caterina Boratto. The Turin of art and cinema as well as the Turin of every day. Among the most assiduous Mario Soldati and Gianandrea Gavazzeni who have frequented the Mulassano for decades. In 1938 the Nebiolo couple sold the place to go and manage some cinemas in the suburbs and the place, with the war experienced a period of decline. His treasures disappeared under the lime. In the 1970s Mulassano returned to that of Commendatore Amilcare and Onorino thanks to an accurate restoration that the then owner, Antonio Chessa, carried out with great patience and wisdom. Antonio Chessa's niece, Vanna, together with a new partner Patrizio Abrate, today preserves the tradition and care, enlightened by that passion for which the uncle dedicated a life. Today the place is as it was thought by Antonio Vandone and remains the heritage of the city of Turin and of those who want to enjoy its beauty.

La storia inizia nel 1763 a Torino, quando l’acquacedratario Giuseppe Dentis apre la sua piccola bottega nell’edificio di fronte all’ingresso del Santuario della Consolata. Il locale all’epoca era arredato semplicemente, con tavole e panche di legno. Nel 1856, su progetto dell’architetto Carlo Promis, viene edificato l’attuale palazzo e in questa sede il caffè assume l’elegante forma che oggi possiamo apprezzare: le pareti vengono abbellite con boiseries di legno decorate da specchi e lampade e fanno la loro comparsa i caratteristici tavolini tondi di marmo bianco, il bancone di legno e marmo e le scaffalature per i vasi dei confetti. Alla fine dell’Ottocento viene posta esternamente la devanture in ferro, con le vetrinette ai lati, le colonnine e i capitelli in ghisa. In questo ambiente viene svolta l’attività di confetteria e di caffè-cioccolateria. L’invenzione del bicerin è stata, senza alcun dubbio, la base del successo del locale e, più che invenzione, fu evoluzione della settecentesca bavareisa, una bevanda allora di gran moda che veniva servita in grossi bicchieri e che era fatta di caffè, cioccolato, latte e sciroppo. Il rituale del bicerin prevedeva all’inizio che i tre ingredienti fossero serviti separatamente, ma già nell’Ottocento vengono riuniti in un unico bicchiere e declinati in tre varianti: pur e fiur (simile all’odierno cappuccino), pur e barba (caffè e cioccolato), ‘n poc ‘d tut (ovvero “un po’ di tutto”), con tutti e tre gli ingredienti. Quest’ultima formula fu quella di maggiore successo e finì per prevalere sulle altre, arrivando integra ed originale ai nostri giorni e prendendo il nome dai piccoli bicchieri senza manico in cui veniva servita (bicerin, appunto). La bevanda si diffuse anche negli altri locali della città, diventandone addirittura uno dei simboli di Torino. Stefani-Mondo scrive: “...è la bibita prediletta della mattina: ministri, magistrati, professori, negozianti, fattorini, cestaie, venditori e venditrici ambulanti, campagnuoli ecc, tutti spendono volentieri i loro tre soldi per rifocillarsi economicamente lo stomaco“. Il prezzo di tre soldi, cioè 15 centesimi di lira, venne mantenuto dalla metà dell’Ottocento fino al 5 dicembre del 1913, quando passò a 20. “…per venti soli centesimi si aveva il classico bicchierino che costituisce un nutritivo spuntino…“. La storia del Bicerin, come questo locale venne nel tempo a essere semplicemente chiamato dai torinesi per il successo della sua bevanda, nel tempo si intreccia saldamente a quella della “Consolà”. La nuova miscela era infatti il sostegno ideale per i fedeli che, avendo digiunato per prepararsi alla comunione, cercavano un sostegno energetico appena usciti dalla chiesa. Ugualmente era molto gradita in tempo di Quaresima poiché, non essendo la cioccolata calda considerata “cibo”, poteva essere consumata senza remore durante il digiuno prescritto. The story begins in 1763 in Turin, when the acquactress Giuseppe Dentis opens his small shop in the building opposite the entrance to the Sanctuary of the Consolata. At the time, the place was simply furnished, with wooden tables and benches. In 1856, based on a project by the architect Carlo Promis, the current palace was built and here the café takes on the elegant shape that we can appreciate today: the walls are embellished with wooden boiseries decorated with mirrors and lamps and make their own the characteristic round white marble tables, the wooden and marble counter and the shelves for the confetti jars appeared. At the end of the nineteenth century the devanture was placed externally in iron, with the showcases on the sides, the columns and capitals in cast iron. In this environment the confectionery and coffee-chocolate shop is carried out. The invention of the bicerin was, without any doubt, the basis of the success of the place and, more than an invention, it was the evolution of the eighteenth-century bavareisa, a drink at the time very fashionable that was served in large glasses and was made of coffee, chocolate, milk and syrup. The bicerin ritual initially provided for the three ingredients to be served separately, but already in the nineteenth century they were combined in a single glass and declined in three variants: pur and fiur (similar to today's cappuccino), pur e barba (coffee and chocolate), 'n poc' d tut (or “a bit of everything”), with all three ingredients. This last formula was the most successful and ended up prevailing over the others, arriving intact and original to our days and taking its name from the small glasses without handles in which it was served ( bicerin, in fact). The drink also spread to other places in the city, even becoming one of the symbols of Turin. Stefani-Mondo writes: “...it is the favorite drink of the morning: ministers, magistrates, professors, shopkeepers, messengers, baskets, street vendors and vendors, country men, etc., all willingly spend their three sous to economically refresh their stomach". The price of three soldi, that is 15 cents of a lira, was maintained from the mid-nineteenth century until December 5, 1913, when it passed to 20. "...for only twenty cents you had the classic glass which is a nutritious snack...". The history of Bicerin, as this place came over time to be simply called by the Turinese for the success of its drink, over time is firmly intertwined with that of the "Consolà". The new blend was in fact the ideal support for the faithful who, having fasted to prepare for communion, sought energetic support as soon as they left the church. It was also very welcome in time of Lent since, not being the hot chocolate considered "food", it could be consumed without hesitation during the prescribed fast.

The Tournai Cathedral, or Cathedral of Our Lady (French: Notre-Dame de Tournai, Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Doornik), is a Roman Catholic Church, see of the Diocese of Tournai in Tournai, Belgium. It has been classified both as a Wallonia's major heritage since 1936 and as a World Heritage Site since 2000. There was a diocese centered at Tournai from the late 6th century and this structure of local blue-gray stone occupies rising ground near the south bank of the Scheldt, which divides the city of Tournai into two roughly equal parts. Begun in the 12th century on even older foundations, the building combines the work of three design periods with striking effect, the heavy and severe character of the Romanesque nave contrasting remarkably with the Transitional work of the transept and the fully developed Gothic of the choir. The transept is the most distinctive part of the building, with its cluster of five bell towers and apsidal (semicircular) ends. The nave belongs mostly to the first third of the 12th century. Prefiguring the Early Gothic style, it has a second-tier gallery between the ground-floor arcade and the triforium. Pilasters between the round-arched windows in the clerestory help support the 18th-century vaulting that replaced the original ceiling, which was of wood, and flat. The transept arms, built in about the mid-12th century, have apsidal ends, a feature borrowed in all probability from certain Rhenish churches, and which would appear to have made its influence felt in the northeast of France, as at Noyon and Soissons. The square towers that flank the transept arms reach a height of 83 metres (272 ft). They vary in detail, some of the arcade work with which they are enriched being in the round-arched and some in the pointed style. West portico. Bishop Gautier de Marvis (1219-1252) had the earlier Romanesque choir demolished in the 13th century, in order to replace it with a Gothic choir of much grander dimensions, inspired by the likes of Amiens Cathedral. The construction of the new choir began in 1242, and ended in 1255. The rest of the cathedral was supposed to be rebuilt in the same style as the choir, but this was never attempted, the only later additions being the western porch, and a large Gothic chapel which was built alongside one of the side aisles, whose original walls and windows disappeared in the process. The rood screen is a Renaissance masterpiece by Flemish sculptor Cornelis Floris and dates from 1573. The cathedral was damaged by a severe tornado on the 24 August 1999. Assessment of the damage revealed underlying structural problems and the cathedral has been undergoing extensive repairs and archaeological investigation ever since. The Brunin Tower was stabilised in 2003. In recognition of Tournai cathedral's cultural value, UNESCO designated the building a World Heritage Site in the year 2000.

The Mir castle complex is a unique monument of the national culture of Belarus, included in 2000 in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. On the territory of the complex there are the Mir Castle of the 16th – 20th centuries, the church-burial vault of the princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky, the watchman's house, the ruins of the palace of the last owners, an outhouse, a roadside chapel, an English landscape park with a pond, the remains of an Italian garden, earthen ramparts with bastions. The museum has 39 exposition and exhibition halls. Along with sightseeing and thematic excursions, theatrical ones are also provided, and the ceremony "Wedding in the Mir Castle" will make the happy day in your life unforgettable. Mir Castle is an object with a developed infrastructure: two conference rooms for holding high-level events, a hotel with 16 rooms, a restaurant of ancient cuisine, a souvenir shop with products of Belarusian craftsmen. Mir Castle Complex of XVI–XX centuries in a small town Mir is a historical and cultural value of national importance and UNESCO World Heritage. For the first time Мir was mentioned in 1434 when it becomes a private estate of Senko Gedygoldovich. According to his will in 1451 Mir passes to Anna Butrimovna, his foster daughter. In 1476 Anna gives Mir as possession for life to Senko’s wife Milokhna, and after her death – to her cousin Yury Ilinich, who started building the castle. The owner of Mir had strong reasons for erecting such a mighty fortification building. At the beginning of the 16th century Crimean Tatars attacked these lands more frequently. Unstable political situation was worsened by the hostility among the feudal groups inside the country. In particular, the Iliniches were in confrontation with a very powerful and influential prince Mikhail Glinsky. Nevertheless there was one more important reason for building the castle. Yury Ilinich aspired to get a title of a count of the Holy Roman Empire and one of the necessary conditions for this was having a stone castle. This was the first case when such a mighty fortress was built on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by a private owner. At the first stage of construction five towers were erected. They were connected with walls whose thickness at the foundation was up to three meters. All the towers were planned as independent centers of resistance. They were erected in such a way that it was convenient to deliver flanking fire along the walls and to hit an approaching target. Each tower was about 25 meters in height and had five fighting storeys with loopholes and a complex system of inner passages. The builders used three-layer laying – the inner and outer parts of the walls were made of brick and huge stones and the space between them was filled with small stones and broken bricks. Although all the towers may seem to have the same construction, each of them has its own architectural peculiarities. The lower tetrahedral part of the towers becomes octahedral at different heights slightly losing in its size. The decoration of the towers’ fronts also varies. The owners of the castle – the Iliniches – didn’t manage to accomplish the construction. Their family died away within forty years. Shortly before his decease Yury Ilinich Junior, the grandson of the founder, bequeathed Mir County to his cousin Prince Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill nicknamed the Orphan. Over the next three centuries the castle was owned by the representatives of a powerful dynasty of the Radziwills. Having acquired the ownership rights for Mir County in 1569, Prince Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill nicknamed the Orphan decided to make the castle one of his residences. At his behest three-storey living palaces were erected along the northern and eastern walls of the castle, the three adjacent towers were rebuilt and a barbican at the Entrance tower appeared. Earth mounds with bastions at the angles were raised around the castle. A fosse filled with water was dug behind the earth mounds. At the end of the 16th century the bastion fortifications lost their importance. The reasons why Mikolaj Krzysztof Radziwill decided to stop further modernization of Mir Castle are still unknown. After the construction of a mighty castle in Nesvizh at the end of the 16th – beginning of the 17th centuries the princely residence moved there. Mir Castle became something like a country seat. The walls of the palace and towers were plastered and painted pink. The window and door portals were made from grey sandstone imported from Galicia. The basement and the ground floor of the palace incorporated housekeeping facilities and storerooms; the administration of Mir County, a municipal court and a clerical office were located on the first floor, the second floor was intended for the owners whose living accommodation was situated there. At the beginning of the 17th century an Italian garden was laid out near the castle. After these massive transformations the castle had seen a peaceful lifetime which was broken off by a war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Muscovy. In 1655 Mir Castle was ravaged by Cossacks of Ivan Zolotorenro and Russian troops of voivode Aleksey Trubetskoy. The castle fell into oblivion for around 30 years. And it wasn’t until 1680 that Katarzyna (Ekaterina) Radziwill from the Sobiesky family initiated restoration works in Mir Castle after her husband Mikhail Kazimierz had died. But the Great Northern War of 1700–1721 suspended her undertakings for many years. In April 1706 Mir was invaded by the troops of Charles XII. The whole township with the castle was on fire, everything that had been restored was destroyed. The castle regained its former grandeur thanks to a new owner – Prince Mikhail Kazimierz Radziwill nicknamed the Rybonka. The chambers of the fourth princely floor were replanned. The rooms of a similar layout, predominantly of a square type, were replaced by a suite of halls of different sizes. For this purpose the internal partitions were rearranged, the stairs line was changed. The Stateroom as well as the Portrait and Dance Halls were decorated with oak parquet floors, gilded ceilings, superb furniture, tapestry, paintings, chinaware and delftware. A lot of valuable and refined objects were produced at the Radziwills’ manufactories. In 1891 Mir estate and the castle were purchased by a Cossack chieftain of the Don Troops, Prince Nikolay Svyatopolk-Mirsky. Apparently, the prince was attracted by the name of the estate. When he came to Mir he immediately got down to work with great enthusiasm. An alcohol plant and a two-storey palace, which became the main composition center of the palatial and park complex, were built opposite the castle. A water reservoir with islands was made in front of the new palace instead of five ponds and a cut down garden. In 1922 Nikolay’s son Mikhail started to restore Mir Castle. The works had lasted for 16 years. During this period a part of the Eastern palace and two southern towers were restored. During the Great Patriotic War from May to August 1942 the castle served as a ghetto where Hitler’s forces imprisoned around 800 local Jews. In summer the prisoners organized a resistance group. On August 9, 1942 over 250 Jews managed to escape. Three days later those who stayed in ghetto were shot by fascists in the forest not far from Mir. After the liberation of Belarus in July 1944 dwellers of Mir whose houses had been ruined found refuge in the castle. The last family moved out from the castle in 1962. The restoration works in Mir Castle began only in 1983. In 2000 it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. On December 16, 2010 an official opening of Mir Castle took place.

Schönbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, located in Hietzing, Vienna. The name Schönbrunn (meaning “beautiful spring”) has its roots in an artesian well from which water was consumed by the court. The 1,441-room Rococo palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural, and historic monuments in the country. The history of the palace and its vast gardens spans over 300 years, reflecting the changing tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs. It has been a major tourist attraction since the mid-1950s. In 1569, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II purchased a large floodplain of the Wien river beneath a hill, situated between Meidling and Hietzing. The former owner, in 1548, had erected a mansion called Katterburg. The emperor ordered the area to be fenced and put game there such as pheasants, ducks, deer and boar, in order for it to serve as the court's recreational hunting ground. In a small separate part of the area, “exotic” birds such as turkeys and peafowl were kept. Fishponds were also built. Das kaiserliche Lustschloß Schönbrunn, Ehrenhofseite by Bernardo Bellotto, 1759-1760 During the next century, the area was used as a hunting and recreation ground. Eleonora Gonzaga, who loved hunting, spent much time there and was bequeathed the area as her widow's residence after the death of her husband, Ferdinand II. From 1638 to 1643, she added a palace to the Katterburg mansion, while in 1642 came the first mention of the name “Schönbrunn” on an invoice. The origins of the Schönbrunn orangery seem to go back to Eleonora Gonzaga as well. The Schönbrunn Palace in its present form was built and remodelled during the 1740–50s during the reign of empress Maria Theresa who received the estate as a wedding gift. Franz I commissioned the redecoration of the palace exterior in the neoclassical style as it appears today. Franz Joseph, the longest-reigning emperor of Austria, was born at Schönbrunn and spent a great deal of his life there. He died there, at the age of 86, on 21 November 1916. Following the downfall of the Habsburg monarchy in November 1918, the palace became the property of the newly founded Austrian Republic and was preserved as a museum. After World War II and during the Allied Occupation of Austria (1945—55), Schönbrunn Palace was requisitioned to provide office space for both the British Delegation to the Allied Commission for Austria, and for the headquarters for the small British Military Garrison present in Vienna. With the reestablishment of the Austrian republic in 1955, the palace once again became a museum. It is still sometimes used for important events such as the meeting between U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev in 1961. Since 1992 the palace and gardens have been owned and administered by the Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur-und Betriebsges.m.b.H., a limited-liability company wholly owned by the Republic of Austria. The company conducts preservation and restoration of all palace properties without state subsidies. UNESCO catalogued Schönbrunn Palace on the World Heritage List in 1996, together with its gardens, as a remarkable Baroque ensemble and example of synthesis of the arts.

Palazzo Salis é rimasto attraverso i secoli sempre di proprietà dei Conti Sertoli Salis. Si sviluppa su una struttura che presenta una facciata di stile tardo-cinquecentesco, fiancheggiata da due torri, con un portale centrale barocco realizzato su disegno del Vignola. La lunga e complessa storia dei Salis prosegue come Conti Sertoli Salis a partire dal 1800, quando il Conte Ing. Ulisse Salis, eroe del Risorgimento, e sua moglie Teresa Calvi, ebbero una sola figlia femmina, Rita. Con la contessa Rita Salis, sposata al patrizio sondriese Don Francesco Sertoli di Sondrio, prosegue la storia dei Conti Sertoli Salis, con i 3 figli di Rita e Francesco, ovvero Cesare (primogenito Conte), Pietro (padre dello storico N.H. Dott.Renzo Sertoli Salis) e Ulisse. Quest’ultimo, nobiluomo avvocato, fu un illuminato pioniere dei viaggi intorno al mondo degli inizi del '900, lasciando in eredità alla famiglia splendidi album di scatti unici, che hanno dato vita alla mostra fotografica “I viaggi dello Zio Ulisse”. Dal Conte Cesare discendono in linea diretta i nipoti Cesare Virgilio, illuminato imprenditore scomparso prematuramente nel febbraio del 2005 a soli 52 anni, e Francesco, attuale e principale proprietario del palazzo. Oggi palazzo Salis di Tirano si colloca come una delle mete culturali e turistiche di maggior interesse di tutta la Valtellina, visitabile tutto l’anno con visite guidate per piccoli e grandi gruppi. E' una meta di visita ideale per le scuole e gli amanti della storia ed architettura del 600 e 700, ma anche per gli appassionati della natura, dello sport e dell’enogastronomia valtellinese, per un completamento di grande soddisfazione del loro week-end o della settimana di vacanza. Palazzo Salis has remained through the centuries always owned by the Conti Sertoli Salis. It develops on a structure with a late-fifteenth-century façade, flanked by two towers, with a central baroque portal built on the design of the Artchitect 'Vignola'. The long and complex history of the Salis family continues as “Conti (Counts) Sertoli Salis” in 1800, with the Count Engineer Ulisse Salis, hero of the “Risorgimento”, becoming father of a girl, Rita. Countess Rita married a nobleman Francesco Sertoli and received a special permission to continue the family line as Counts Sertoli Salis. 3 sons were born, Cesare (grandfather of the present owners of Palazzo Salis in Tirano), Pietro and Ulisse. The youngest son Ulisse became a lawyer and enjoyed travelling around the world beginning of 1900, thus leaving beautiful pictures of a fascinating and, sad to say, almost disappeared world. From Count Cesare derives in direct line the two nephews, Cesare, admired Entrepreneur that died in 2005 at the age of only 53, and his younger brother Francesco, present main owner of the Palazzo. Today Palazzo Salis represents one of the most important and attractive cultural and turistic destinations of the region and can be visited by groups all over the year. Perfectly responding to those looking for a cultural trip, like schools and historical experts, or lovers of the splendid architecture of the 17th and 18th century, the visit will lead you through 500 years of history and splendid decorated rooms.

Situated at Badi Choupad, Pink City of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal was built in 1799. It has 953 windows on the outside walls. The honeycomb shaped and beautifully carved windows allow breeze to blow through the palace and makes it a perfect summer palace. It was built as an extension to the City Palace nearby. See below for more information about Hawa Mahal. In 1799, the Kachhwaha Rajput ruler, Sawai Pratap Singh, grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh ordered Lal Chand Usta to construct an extension to the Royal City Palace. The Purdah system at the time was strictly followed. Rajput royal ladies should not be seen by strangers or appear in any public area. The construction of Hawa Mahal allows the royal ladies to enjoy from every day street scenes to royal processions on the street without being seen. The five-stores palace was built in the form of Krishna’s crown because Sarai Pratap Singh was devoted to Krishna, the Hindu god. The mahal has a total of 953 small casements each with small lattice worked pink window, balconies and arched roofs with hanging cornices. This allows cool breeze blow through the mahal and keep it cool and airy in summer. Despite the large number of windows, each of them are size of a peephole such that the royal ladies were not to be seen by the public. The top three storeys are a single room thick, namely Vichitra Mandir, Prakash Mandir and Hawa Mandir. The Maharaja worshipped the Krishna at the Vichitra Mandir. While the Prakash Mandir provides an open terrace to both sides. Worth noting is that there are no steps to the upper floors but ramps. They are for the palanquin of the royal ladies. The autumn celebrations took place on the Sharad Mandir on the first floor. Don’t miss out on the colourful glassworks on Ratan Mandir on the second floor. In contrast to the rich decoration of the exterior, the interiors of the mahal is much simpler. But it is also where you will find the best view of the city of Jaipur.

1962 Ivo Dotto costruisce per hobby il primo trenino su rotaia azionato da motore. Il fascino e il successo di tale trenino sono confermati dai sempre più numerosi bambini che ogni giorno si fermano col naso incollato al recinto per vederlo in movimento, speranzosi di poter fare un giretto. Nasce il primo trenino su pneumatici. Il 1966 rappresenta una svolta molto importante nella tradizione dei trenini, fino ad allora concepiti soltanto su rotaia. “Liberare” il trenino dal vincolo del binario significò rendere versatile un mezzo di trasporto che da quel momento venne utilizzato per gli scopi più diversi. Nasce il primo trenino su pneumatici per il trasporto di adulti. Quello che era nato come un'attrazione per bambini diviene ora un mezzo di trasporto all'interno dei parchi e non solo. I treni Dotto ben presto iniziano ad essere venduti anche al di fuori dei confini nazionali. Nasce il primo treno elettrico L’attenzione per l’ecologia e l’ambiente ha portato DOTTO TRAINS a realizzare la linea Muson River in versione elettrica, per riscoprire l’emozione di viaggiare a contatto con la natura, gustando la varietà dei paesaggi che ci circondano. Il treno TM970, dal design aerodinamico è adatto anche alle città più moderne. Per soddisfare mercati sempre più esigenti, DOTTO TRAINS progetta e realizza modelli sempre più evoluti e sofisticati tecnologicamente, capaci di circolare in qualsiasi tipologia di ambiente. Nuova linea di treni: Funny Trains Sono treni molto colorati, dal simpatico design che sembrano usciti dai fumetti. Questa linea è stata studiata principalmente per i parchi divertimento, ma ben si adattano anche in villaggi turistici e Resort. I treni elettrici Dotto nel rispetto dell'ambiente. Nasce Dottobus, ecologico per natura. L’attenzione per l’ecologia e l’ambiente che da sempre contraddistingue la filosofia aziendale di DOTTO TRAINS, ha portato alla realizzazione di diverse linee di treni elettrici, senza rinunciare alla consueta affidabilità, manegevolezza ed efficienza che contraddistinguono DOTTO TRAINS. Dottobus Enclosed Euro 6 Shuttle bus dal design moderno, con motore Euro 6 a basse emissioni, può essere decorato con grafica personalizzata. Ben si presta come transfer aeroportuale e come bus urbano. Dotato di riscaldamento e aria condizionata, è ideale sia nelle località con clima rigido che torrido. Dottobus Enclosed in versione elettrica Shuttle bus elettrico dal design moderno, ecologico al 100%, può essere decorato con grafica personalizzata. Ben si presta come transfer aereoportuale e come bus urbano. Dotato di riscaldamento e aria condizionata, è ideale sia nelle località con clima rigido che torrido. BIG BOY La nuova locomotiva made in Dotto La nuova potente locomotiva 4x4 con motore Turbo Diesel Euro VI è in grado di affrontare percorsi in salita fino ad ora ritenuti inacessibili, con pendenze anche del 25%. In 1962 Ivo Dotto built the first engine driven train on rails as a hobby. The allure and success of this little train were proved by the increasing number of children who stopped and glued their noses to the fence every day to watch it in action, ever hopeful that they might be lucky enough to have a ride. he first road train was launched 1966 marked a very important turning point in the history of these small trains, which had only run on rails until now. “Freeing” the train from its tracks transformed it into a completely versatile means of transport that could now be used for an amazingly wide range of different purposes. The first road train for adults was launched. What initially began as a children’s attraction now became a means of transport used in parks and many other places. It wasn't long before Dotto trains began to be sold outside of Italy as well. The first electric train was launched Understanding the importance of environmental awareness and protection led DOTTO TRAINS to build an electric version of the Muson River line so you can rediscover the thrill of travelling through the countryside while savouring the rich and varied landscapes around us. The TM970 is launched, a train with an aerodynamic design also perfect for modern cities. Over the last years DOTTO TRAINS has designed and built more advanced and technologically sophisticated models, that suit every type of setting, meeting the needs of increasingly demanding markets. A new line: Funny Trains The brightly coloured trains with fun, appealing designs that look just like cartoon characters. This line was primarily designed for amusement parks but Funny Trains are also ideal for holiday villages and resorts. Dotto's eco-friendly electric trains. The new Dottobus. Eco-friendly by nature. Environmental awareness and protection has always been a key part of the DOTTO TRAINS philosophy and this led to the creation of different lines of electric trains that maintained the same reliability, easy handling and efficiency for which DOTTO TRAINS is renowned. The first Dottobus Enclosed Euro 6 was launched. The Euro 6 low emission shuttle bus, with a modern design, can be decorated with customized graphics. It is suitable as an airport shuttle and city bus. Fitted with heating and air conditioning, it is ideal for places with cold or hot climates. Dottobus Enclosed electric model The 100% eco-friendly electric shuttle bus with a modern design can be decorated with customized graphics. It is suitable as an airport shuttle and city bus. Fitted with heating and air conditioning, it is ideal for places with cold or hot climates. BIG BOY The new locomotive made in Dotto. The new powerfull 4x4 locomotive, with Euro VI Turbo Diesel engine, will be able to climb slopes of even 25% getting to peak never thinked before.

Ten years to the day after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison on 11 February 1990, the Nelson Mandela Museum opened its doors. Nelson Mandela insisted that it was not just to be a static collection and tribute to him, but a living memorial to his values and vision. It was to inspire and enrich all who visit it, serve as a catalyst for development and should share the heritage resources linked to him. The Department of Arts and Culture took his words to heart and pledged funding for the Nelson Mandela Museum as part of its series of national legacy projects that honour South Africa’s liberation heroes. The Nelson Mandela Museum is more than a place; it is an experience that allows visitors to follow the footprints of a man whose long walk to freedom began in the foothills that rise from the banks of the Mbhashe River. His journey took him back to the village of Qunu, where he put down roots and grew tall and strong. The young man listened to and learned from his elders, moved by their stories of battles for their land. His battle for liberation would be waged a long way from the rural landscape of his birth. It would take him from studying at the University of Fort Hare in Alice to the mines in Johannesburg; and from the capital cities of the world to a prison cell on Robben Island, before he emerged from his long imprisonment, unbowed and victorious on a summer day in February 1990. His gift is a living one – one that embodies his commitment to the principles of human rights, freedom, peace and democracy. This constantly evolving legacy is housed in the Nelson Mandela Museum, with its two main sites: the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu, and the Bhunga Building in Mthatha. A third site, Mvezo, is not currently operated by the museum. Here there are exhibitions that celebrate his life and his journey, including Gift to the Nation, which showcases the gifts he has received from the people, institutions and governments around the world, and a collection of images and artefacts that illustrate and illuminate his life. The Nelson Mandela Museum is situated on the N2 highway and is the gateway to the Wild Coast. It offers a memorable cultural experience that gives insight into the life of Nelson Mandela, with guided tours and a heritage trail that follows his in his footsteps.

The Castle of Good Hope is known locally as "The Castle". Its Dutch name is "Kasteel de Goede Hoop" and is a bastion fort built in the 17th century in Cape Town, South Africa. The Castle was originally located on the coastline of Table Bay but, following reclamation, the fort is now located a short distance inland within the Central Business District. The Castle was declared a historical monument (now a provincial heritage site) in 1936. Following restoration work in the 1980s, it is considered the best preserved example of a 17th century architectural structure in the entire world. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company (DEIC) settled on the shores of Table Bay to establish a refreshment base for ships en route from Europe to East Asia and to maintain its monopoly over the Spice Trade. Built by the DEIC between 1666 and 1679, the Castle of Good Hope is the oldest existing colonial building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort called the Fort de Goede Hoop which was constructed from clay and timber and built by Jan van Riebeeck, the first Commander of the Cape. During 1664, tensions between Britain and the Netherlands rose amid rumours of war. That same year, Commander Zacharias Wagenaer, successor to Jan van Riebeeck, was instructed by Commissioner Isbrand Goske to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on 2 January 1666. Work was interrupted frequently because the DEIC was reluctant to spend money on the project. On 26 April 1679, the five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau: Leerdam to the west, with Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje clockwise from it. In 1682 the gated entry replaced the old entrance, which had faced the sea. A bell tower, situated over the main entrance, was built in 1684—the original bell, the oldest in South Africa, was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 and weighs just over 300 kilograms (660lb). It was used to announce the time, as well as warning citizens in case of danger, since it could be heard 10 kilometres away. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made. The fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun. A wall, built to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard, which also houses the De Kat Balcony – now with the “Kings of the Castle” statues in front of it. The original balcony was built in 1695, but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves and burghers (town inhabitants) of the Cape. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), part of the castle was used as a prison, and the former cells remain to this day. The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape, and today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The Castle is also the home of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanised infantry unit.

Tra il 1760 e il 1763 il conte Vittorio Amedeo Costa di Carrù e Trinità, che fu governatore di Novara e poi vicerè di Sardegna, dava incarico all’architetto Birago di Borgaro per la costruzione del suo palazzo affacciato su via San Francesco da Paola. Al palazzo venne successivamente annesso il complesso detto “delle Cascine”, frutto di acquisti di case da reddito che si affacciavano sulle attuali vie Giolitti e Accademia Albertina. Nel 1837 nella proprietà delle Cascine venne a collocarsi il Ricovero delle figlie della Misericordia, istituzione assistenziale fondata in connessione con le Dame della Carità di san Vincenzo de’ Paoli, da Luigia Alfieri che ne affidò il funzionamento alle Figlie della Carità; l’opera venne proseguita dopo la sua morte da Luisa Costa, moglie di Cesare Alfieri, e da Costanza Alfieri marchesa Tapparelli d’Azeglio. Nel 1882 moriva la contessa Costanza Luserna di Rorà, vedova del conte Costa di Carrù e Trinità, che a sua volta aveva fondato il “Ritiro Carrù” e che con testamento segreto lasciava precise disposizioni sull’utilizzo del palazzo di via Accademia. Nel 1882 il conte Carlo Alfieri affidò, in accordo con Paolo Costa della Trinità, l’amministrazione provvisoria del Ritiro Alfieri, al quale era di fatto unito il Ritiro Carrù, all’ing. Melchiorre Pulciano. A questi il conte Costa dà incarico, tra il 1892 e il 1896, per «opere di sistemazione del fabbricato». Nel 1896 avvenne la fusione ufficiale dei due ritiri in un unico Istituto che funzionava come educandato per fanciulle cattoliche di non agiata condizione. Negli anni della seconda Guerra mondiale l’edificio ospitò altre istituzioni, come l’Educatorio della Provvidenza e un ospedale del Sovrano Militare Ordine di Malta provvisto di ambulatorio medico chirurgico e pediatrico. Subì gravi danni alle coperture e all’ultimo piano che furono interamente rifatti. Nella seconda metà del secolo scorso l’Istituto fu trasformato in convitto femminile con 75 posti letto sostituendo le originarie camerate in camere a due letti. All’inizio del 2003 venne elaborato un progetto di ristrutturazione e restauro conservativo che venne sottoposto alla Compagnia di San Paolo e alla Fondazione CRT che si fecero carico dei lavori di ristrutturazione. Between 1760 and 1763, Count Vittorio Amedeo Costa di Carrù e Trinità, who was governor of Novara and then viceroy of Sardinia, commissioned the architect Birago di Borgaro to build his palace overlooking via San Francesco da Paola. The complex called “delle Cascine” was subsequently annexed to the palace, the result of the purchase of income-generating houses that overlooked the current via Giolitti and Accademia Albertina. In 1837 on the property of the Cascine the Shelter of the Daughters of Mercy was placed, a welfare institution founded in connection with the Ladies of Charity of St. Vincent de 'Paoli, by Luigia Alfieri who entrusted its operation to the Daughters of Charity; the work was continued after his death by Luisa Costa, wife of Cesare Alfieri, and by Costanza Alfieri marquise Tapparelli d'Azeglio. In 1882 Countess Costanza Luserna di Rorà died, widow of Count Costa di Carrù and Trinità, who in turn had founded the “Carrù Retreat” and who with a secret will left precise provisions on the use of the building in Via Accademia. In 1882 Count Carlo Alfieri entrusted, in agreement with Paolo Costa della Trinità, the provisional administration of the Retiro Alfieri, to which the Retiro Carrù was in fact joined, to Eng. Melchiorre Pulciano. To these Count Costa gave assignment, between 1892 and 1896, for "works to refurbish the building". In 1896, the two retreats were officially merged into a single institute that functioned as a boarding school for Catholic girls of not well-off conditions. In the years of the Second World War the building housed other institutions, such as the Educatory of Providence and a hospital of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta equipped with a medical, surgical and pediatric clinic. It suffered serious damage to the roofs and the top floor which were entirely redone. In the second half of the last century, the Institute was transformed into a boarding school with 75 beds, replacing the original dormitories with two-bed rooms. At the beginning of 2003 a renovation and conservative restoration project was elaborated which was submitted to the Compagnia di San Paolo and to the CRT Foundation which took charge of the renovation works.

Francesca Guicciardini nasce a Firenze nel 1978 da una storica famiglia fiorentina, qui studia presso l’istituto d’arte di Porta Romana, seguendo lezioni di decorazione e grafica. Durante questi anni inizia a sperimentare la pittura murale, prima direttamente sui muri di casa propria, poi per piccoli committenti fiorentini. Nel 1997 si diploma e si rasferisce a Roma, dove inizia a studiare computer grafica, alternando gli studi a decorazioni per committenze in giro per l’Italia. Lavora per un paio d'anni come grafica per l’artista romani Matteo Basilè, segue un corso di montaggio video presso Cinecittà per realizzare documentari durante i suoi lunghi viaggi nel sud del mondo, dove si porta sempre dietro l’occorrente per realizzare gli acquarelli che ispirano i suoi lavori di decorazione. Dal 1999 ad oggi ha decorato svariati muri, ville, casali e locali pubblici in giro per il mondo, specializzata nella decorazione “classica” (molto in voga nelle ville toscane del xix secolo), Francesca ha saputo coniugare gli studi di grafica, all’arte orientale conosciuta durante i viaggi in Asia, senza dimenticare il Rinascimento fiorentino che l’ha circondata e ispirata durante la sua formazione artistica. As a young girl, raised in one of the oldest Florentine families, Francesca began by painting the walls of her mother's home, and it was while still at the Art Institute that she began to receive her first commissions. Over the years, she has applied her talent as an artist and eye for design to walls all around Italy. She always prefers to work closely with her commissioner and since her days as a young student, she has painted Florentine apartments, ancient Roman villas, Tuscan country homes, and public spaces. After her studies, she moved to Rome, where her talent was nurtured by her work for the Roman artist Matteo Basilè. At the same time she was also specializing in graphic design and editing, and it was her capacity in her studies that bought her to Cinecitta' where she directed small documentaries based on her voyages around the world. Francesca's passion for travel has bought her to some of the most remote and beautiful places in the world. Her travels could last up to a whole year if she felt inspired. The result of these travels has been an extraordinary collection and study of the various decorative themes and ornaments she encountered along the way. Today Francesca specializes in combining the knowledge she has acquired over the years, and during her travels, to work on some of the most important walls in Europe. Her main passion remains classical decoration, a reminder of the Italian Renaissance that surrounded her most of her life, but her originality comes from joining this innate passion with her knowledge as a designer and avid traveler.

El Hostal de los Reyes Católicos es un edificio que fue construido en el año 1492. En 1501, este edificio fue destinado por los Reyes Católicos para atender a los enfermos y peregrinos del divino Xacobe, según se puede leer en la inscripción latina que recorre el friso superior de la portada. El proyecto de las obras se debe al arquitecto real Enrique Egas. Delante de la fachada se puede ver una fuerte cadena del siglo XVI sostenida por pilares esmeradamente tallados que delimita la propiedad del hospital y que tiene su origen en las disputas de propiedad entre el Ayuntamiento y las autoridades del hospital. Cuenta con una hermosa portada plateresca, obra de los maestros franceses Martín de Blas y Guillén de Colás. En las pilastras de esta portada podemos ver de abajo arriba, las figuras de Adán, Santa Catalina y San Juan Bautista en la izquierda y las de Eva, Santa Lucía y María Magdalena en la derecha. En el friso de la puerta, estructurada a modo de arco triunfal romano, aparecen alineadas las figuras de los doce apóstoles. En las pechinas sobre el arco se pueden ver los medallones que recogen los bustos de los reyes Isabel y Fernando. Sobre el friso, en el cuerpo superior se abre la ventana del Aposento Real, reservado para hospedar a los monarcas cuando acudieran a Compostela, esta parte se encuentra bordeada por las imágenes de Cristo, la Virgen, Santiago, San Juan Evangelista, San Pedro y San Pablo. Dos grandes escudos, con las armas de Castilla flanquean así mismo, la portada. Recorriendo todo el frente del edificio vemos los balcones diseñados por fray Tomás Alonso, apoyados en ménsulas muy trabajadas que representan figuras fantasiosas. La cornisa se decora con una minuciosa cadena en la que sobresalen grotescas y obscenas gárgolas. El espacio interior está estructurado en una planta rectangular con cuatro patios. El más artístico de estos patios es el que se encuentra de primero al entrar del lado izquierdo, en el que destaca sobre todo, la puerta que conduce a la antigua sala de San Luis. El interior del Hostal alberga una hermosa capilla ojival, declarada Monumento Nacional en 1912. La parte más interesante de esta capilla de planta de cruz latina, situada entre los cuatro patios, es el crucero al que se accede a través de un enrejado de hierro de hermosa factura, obra del cerrajero francés Guillén. La bóveda del crucero, confeccionada en piedra litográfica de Coimbra, es de una bellísima filigrana.

La Catedral de Santiago de Compostela es una construcción medieval que se encuentra ubicada en la capital de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, al noreste de España. Esta construcción fue iniciada en el año 1075, bajo el reinado de Alfonso VI y promovida por el obispo Diego Peláez. Inicialmente, el edificio contaba con tres naves y una planta de cruz latina, que abarcaba una superficie de 8.300 metros cuadrados. Aunque la estructura medieval se ha mantenido en lo fundamental, a lo largo de los siglos la Catedral ha ido variando su fisonomía con construcciones como la del Claustro y sus espacios anejos durante el Renacimiento. Así como la construcción de la capilla mayor, los órganos, el cierre de la cabecera o la fachada del Obradoiro, entre otras importantes actuaciones que se realizaron durante la época del Barroco. Durante el Neoclasicismo se realizó la nueva fachada de la Azabachería y en los últimos cien años se han seguido realizando diversas actuaciones. Por esta razón, hoy en día la edificación reúne diversos estilos arquitectónicos tales como el románico, el gótico, el barroco, el plateresco y el neoclásico. La entrada principal es conocida como el Pórtico de la Gloria y fue construida por el Maestro Mateo en el 1188. En ella se albergan dos centenares de figuras alusivas al Apocalipsis, dentro de las cuales destaca la figura del Apóstol Santiago que parece dar la bienvenida a los peregrinos. La fachada del Obradoiro de la Catedral es obra de Fernando de Casas y Novoa, y está considerada como una de las expresiones máximas del barroco español. El Altar Mayor es de estilo barroco, debajo del cual se encuentra la cripta del Apóstol Santiago. La catedral de Santiago de Compostela se ha convertido en un atractivo turístico y religioso ya que es el final del viaje de los peregrinos que deciden realizar el “Camino de Santiago”, recorrido que parte desde distintos lugares de Europa. Este trayecto, es conocido como el Primer Itinerario Cultural Europeo y Patrimonio de la Humanidad, y es una de las más antiguas y principales vías de peregrinación de la cristiandad. Desde el descubrimiento del sepulcro del Apóstol Santiago, innumerables peregrinos se han puesto en camino hacia la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, para venerar sus reliquias, conformando así toda una cultura jacobea a lo largo de Europa. Como atractivo turístico, también se encuentra el Museo Catedral de Santiago que le permite a los visitantes profundizar su conocimiento en la historia y el arte de la Catedral, a través de sus diferentes espacios y las exposiciones temporales que se organizan con regularidad.

The Tower of London, founded by William the Conqueror in 1066, is one of the world’s most famous fortresses, and one of Britain’s most visited historic sites. Despite a grim reputation for a place of torture and death, there are so many more stories to be told about the Tower. This powerful and enduring symbol of the Norman Conquest has been enjoyed as a royal palace, served as an armoury and even housed a zoo! An intriguing cast of characters have played their part: including the dastardly jewel-thief Colonel Blood, tragic Lady Jane Grey and maverick zookeeper Albert Cops. The Tower of London played an important role in the First and Second World Wars. From training WWI recruits in the Tower moat including the Royal Fusiliers (whose headquarters and museum still exists at the Tower of London today), to guarding the infamous Nazi prisoner of war Rudolph Hess, during each devastating conflict the Tower returned to its former role as a military store, barracks and prison. And it became, once again, a grim place of execution for enemies of the state. A total of 12 spies were executed behind the Tower's walls. In 2014 and again in 2018, The Tower of London commemorated the centenary of WWI with two major installations. In 2014, ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ marked Britain’s first full day of involvement in the war by filling the moat with 888,246 ceramic poppies while in 2018, ‘Beyond the Deepening Shadows: The Tower Remembers’ saw the moat filled with thousands of flames that commemorated those who lost their lives. Within days of Britain's announcement to enter WWI, young men who worked near the Tower in the City answered the call to enlist. Some formed volunteer brigades with friends or work colleagues. 1300 men who worked for city firms joined the City of London Battalion, pictured here in the Tower moat, waiting to swear the oath of allegiance. By the turn of the 20th Century the Tower of London was seen as a tourist attraction, but the Tower never formally dissolved its function as a garrison, prison and execution site. The fortress actively carried out all three roles during the war, even as it remained open to visitors.

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-story adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over a 1,000 years. The Pueblo is 3 miles northeast of Taos Plaza. Archaeologists say that ancestors of the Taos Indians lived in this valley long before Columbus discovered America and hundreds of years before Europe emerged from the Dark Ages. Ancient ruins in the Taos Valley indicate our people lived here nearly 1000 years ago. The main part of the present buildings were most likely constructed between 1000 and 1450 A.D. They appeared much as they do today when the first Spanish explorers arrived in Northern New Mexico in 1540 and believed that the Pueblo was one of the fabled golden cities of Cibola. The two structures called Hlauuma (north house) and Hlaukwima (south house) are said to be of similar age. They are considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. The Pueblo is made entirely of adobe – earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks. The walls are frequently several feet thick. The roofs of each of the five stories are supported by vigas – large timbers hauled down from the mountain forests. Smaller pieces of wood – pine or aspen latillas – are placed side-by-side on top of the vigas; the whole roof is covered with packed dirt. The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by re plastering with thin layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright. The Pueblo is actually many individual homes, built side-by-side and in layers, with common walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days there were no doors or windows and entry was gained only from the top.

For almost 100 years, Monticello has been maintained and kept open to the public by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., which owns over 2,500 acres of Jefferson's 5,000-acre plantation. As a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation, the Foundation receives no ongoing federal, state, or local funding in support of its dual mission of preservation and education. Monticello is the autobiographical masterpiece of Thomas Jefferson—designed and redesigned and built and rebuilt for more than forty years—and its gardens were a botanic showpiece, a source of food, and an experimental laboratory of ornamental and useful plants from around the world. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s plantation near Charlottesville, Va., was the center of his world. To understand Jefferson, one must understand Monticello; it can be seen as his autobiographical statement. Monticello encompassed a house, an ornamental landscape, a farm, a plantation, a small mountain, and a large and diverse community. It encapsulated the interests, talents, ideals, ambitions, and realities of its creative and complex owner. In 1923, Monticello was purchased by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, a private nonprofit corporation and was opened as a public attraction in 1924. Since then, the Foundation has instituted numerous research and educational programs and major restoration and renovation projects, and Monticello has attracted more than 27 million people. Today, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation remains committed to a twofold mission: preservation – to conserve, protect, and maintain Monticello in a manner which leaves it enhanced and unimpaired for future generations – and education – to interpret and present Thomas Jefferson to the widest possible audiences, including scholars and the general public. Monticello is a National Historic Landmark, an international Site of Conscience, and the only presidential house in the United States designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues. The Foundation seeks to facilitate conversations and to use its extensive research and knowledge to stimulate interactions on a variety of topics that were of keen interest to Jefferson, the most powerful of which are liberty and self government. Through virtual, off-site and on-site engagement, the Foundation seeks to excite the world about Jefferson’s relevance today and ignite a passion for history.