World on my postcards

 Burano is an island in the Northern Venetian Lagoon.All visitors of Burano remain intrigued by the many colours and the coloured houses that are reflected into the green waters of channels.  The name "Burano" arise from "Porta Boreana" , the northern door of the city.

San Giulio Island is an island within Lake Orta in Piedmont, northwestern Italy.The most famous building on the island is the Basilica of Saint Giulio close to which is the monumental old seminary (1840s). Since 1976 it has been transformed into a Benedictine monastery. The little island, just west of the lakeshore village of Orta San Giulio, has very picturesque buildings, and takes its name from a local patron saint (Julius of Novara), who lived in the second half of the 4th century.

 Piazza San Marco was constructed in the ninth century as a small square dotted with trees.  As the largest square in the city now and the only one given the designation of "piazza", St. Mark's Square has always been the location of important government buildings and other facilities central to the goings on in Venice.   Besides being filled with people and great specimens of architecture, Piazza San Marco is also full of pigeons. Pigeons have long been a problem in the square but only recently did the city pass a law that banned the feeding of these birds.

 The Cinque Terre has been under the protection of UNESCO since 1997. The sea that washes the Ligurian shore is considered to be one the purest in the Mediterranean. The natural reserve has been existing for more than ten years. During this time local marine life has regenerated, so the natural reserve has become attractive not only to common holiday makers, but also to divers.

 The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman Empire. Originally known as the Flavian Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era. It was the first permanent amphitheatre to be raised in Rome, and the most impressive arena the Classical world had yet seen.  For a tourist today, seeing the Colosseum means, as Charles Dickens wrote, "seeing the ghost of old Rome floating over the places its people walk in".

Lake Misurina s the largest natural lake of the Cadore. There are at least two different legends associated with Lake Misurina. In the first one, which was also made famous by a song named "Sabato pomeriggio", Misurina is a little capricious and spiteful girl who lives literally held in the palm of the hand of her gigantic father, the king Sorapiss that, to fulfill another desire and obtain for her the magic mirror from the Queen of Monte Cristallo, he is transformed into a mountain. During the last stages of the transformation he sees his daughter fall and her tears flow like rivers and form the lake beneath which his daughter will forever lie with the magic mirror. In the second one, Mesurina (who is later nicknamed) is a daughter of wealthy merchants from Venice who send her away in the mountains by her father anxious not to fulfill a prophecy that would see the girl give away all their possessions. Following some tragic amorous events than vaguely remini...

Humans make mistakes, after all, no human is perfect. One mistake made in the 11th century resulted in a 14,500 ton leaning tower. This miscalculation would later become a symbol of civic pride, but tell that to the man who designed it! The learning tower of Pisa, known as Torre Pendente di Pisa in Italian, is different than most medieval architecture. This particular section won't cover the highly advanced construction techniques that were used, it is important to mention how this tower's design is significant. The Leaning Tower is the third oldest building on Pisa's Piazza del Duomo (cathedral square), the Cathedral and Baptistry were first. Utilizing many columns and archs, this tower represents an advanced understanding of weight and load characteristics, showing the Italian architectures' knowledge. What the architect didn't account for however, was the base of the tower being built on a dense section of clay.  Experts say the fam...

       The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. An enclave situated in central Italy, 15 km from the Romagna Riviera, the Republic sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano, a prominence which gives the first hint of the presence of the Central Apennine Mountains. Each year the Republic of San Marino is visited by millions of tourists from Italy and from all over the world. San Marino is an extraordinary example of independence and intense international activity. Recognized by all the principal world organizations, the Republic of San Marino can boast an undisputed preeminence on themes regarding peace, freedom and the universal rights of man. Its legal and administrative systems form the basis of the most wide-spread form of government worldwide; namely, a democracy. Of the world's 193 independent countries, San Marino is the fifth smallest and – arguably – the most curious. ...

The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice, Italy, as well as being one of the oldest. This congregation of masked people, called Venice Carnival, began in the 15th century, but the tradition can be traced back to the beginning of the 14th Century. During those years one of the first laws made by the Serenissima was that masks cannot be used around the city at night . Later, Venice Carnival attracted foreigners - including princes - from all over Europe, who came to enjoy the wild festivities while spending fortunes. The streets of Venice Carnival were full of people in masks, and no differentiation could be made between nobility and the common people. Generally, the costume worn was a cloak with a long-nosed mask. Also popular were masked couples, where a man and a woman would dress as allegorical characters. In the squares street-artists and singers entertain with songs and music from their guitars, the guests of the Ven...