Jumièges Abbey: the ruin that survived because somebody bought it
Jumièges Abbey was sold as a stone quarry after the Revolution and saved in 1852. It stands roofless today, and anyone under 26 gets in free.
Monumenti 10 min
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The Seu Vella of Lleida: a cathedral that served as a barracks for 241 years
The Seu Vella of Lleida has its cloister in front of the church rather than beside it, and it was an army barracks from 1707 to 1948. The walls still show it.
Monumenti 11 min
Tarragona Cathedral: this is where the altarpiece that ends in Zaragoza begins
Tarragona Cathedral holds Pere Johan’s alabaster altarpiece, the largest Romanesque cloister in Catalonia and an Arabic inscription dated to the year 960.
Monumenti 12 min
Pont du Gard: the extraordinary thing is not the height, it is the gradient
The Pont du Gard is the tallest stretch of a fifty-kilometre aqueduct that fell only centimetres per kilometre. Walking in to see it costs nothing at all.
Monumenti 11 min
The Sagrada Família is not a church to look at: it is a machine for light
The Sagrada Família in Barcelona is read through the colour of its light: blues and greens to the east, reds to the west. Since June 2026 the tallest church.
Monumenti 15 min
The two cathedrals of Zaragoza: why one city has a pair of them
Zaragoza is the only city in the world with two working cathedrals: La Seo, with its Gothic alabaster altarpiece, and El Pilar, with its Goya domes.
Monumenti 14 min
The Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza: the missing link between Córdoba and the Alhambra
The Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza holds the only 11th-century taifa royal seat still standing, a ceiling dated 1492 and the cells of the Inquisition.
Monumenti 13 min
What to see in Collioure, the port where Fauvism was born
What to see in Collioure: the castle of the kings of Majorca, the bell tower that began as a lighthouse, the frames along the seafront and the Fauvism trail.
Guide di viaggi 14 min
What to see in Nîmes in a day: a remarkable concentration of Roman monuments
What to see in Nîmes: the Maison Carrée, the Arena, the Tour Magne and the Musée de la Romanité are minutes apart on foot, and the right pass saves seven euros.
Guide di viaggi 15 min
Arena of Nîmes: the best preserved Roman amphitheatre
The Arena of Nîmes is the best preserved Roman amphitheatre: what to look at inside, the centuries it spent as a walled neighbourhood and 2026 prices.
Monumenti 11 min
What to see in Carcassonne: the Cité, the stained glass of Saint-Nazaire and what you can visit for free
What to see in Carcassonne: the lices between the two walls and the basilica of Saint-Nazaire are free, and the ticket only covers the castle and the ramparts.
Arte medievale Guide di viaggi 18 min
What to see in France beyond Paris: 12 stops you can reach by train
Twelve places to see in France outside Paris, grouped by area and reachable by train, with the real journey times and the two that have no station.
Guide 17 min
Villages in Lazio: 9 to visit, and how you actually get there without a car
Nine villages in Lazio to visit, with what makes each one different from the others, verified ticket prices and how to get there without a car.
Guide 16 min
Artworks in Paris: the 9 to really see, instead of the Mona Lisa from a distance
The artworks to see in Paris choosing the ones you can actually look at: stained glass, an enormous Veronese, free museums and the necropolis of kings.
Musei 15 min
Museums in Rome: the 8 not to miss, with the closing day and what to look for inside
The 8 museums in Rome not to miss, with one emblematic work each, the closing day, the price and the rule for the free first Sunday of the month.
Musei 15 min
What to see in Rome in 3 days: an itinerary built around bookings and closing days
A 3-day Rome itinerary built around the compulsory bookings and the weekly closures, with transport, the Roma Pass and verified opening hours.
Guide 16 min
National Roman Museum: 6 works to see and how the combined ticket works
The works to see at the National Roman Museum: the Boxer at Rest, Livia’s painted garden, the Discobolus Hitler bought, the Ludovisi Gaul.
Musei 14 min
Doria Pamphilj Gallery: 6 works to see in the finest private collection in Rome
The works to see at the Doria Pamphilj Gallery: Velázquez’s Innocent X, Bernini’s bust, two Caravaggios, the Raphael and the Hall of Mirrors.
Musei 13 min
Palazzo Barberini: 7 artworks to see, from the two Caravaggios to La Fornarina
The artworks to see at Palazzo Barberini: two Caravaggios, Raphael’s Fornarina, the Beatrice Cenci, Pietro da Cortona’s ceiling and the two staircases.
Musei 14 min
St Peter’s Basilica: what to see, what you pay for and what you do not
What to see in St Peter’s Basilica: the stars on the floor, the Pietà, the baldachin, the climb to the dome, and what is paid for and what is free.
Monumenti 14 min
The Trevi Fountain: the history, what you are looking at and the new access rules
What to know about the Trevi Fountain: it is Oceanus and not Neptune, the ancient aqueduct feeding it, the coins, and the 2-euro ticket of 2026.
Monumenti 12 min
The Pantheon in Rome: what to see, what the ticket costs and why the dome stands up
What to see at the Pantheon in Rome: the largest concrete dome in the world, the oculus, Raphael’s tomb, and the 7-euro ticket introduced in 2026.
Monumenti 13 min
The Roman Forum and the Palatine: what to see and how to read the ruins
What to see at the Roman Forum and on the Palatine: the Curia, the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Lapis Niger, the imperial palace, with tickets checked.
Monumenti 13 min
The Colosseum: how to visit it, which ticket to choose and what to really look at
How to visit the Colosseum: which ticket to choose between standard, arena and underground, what to look at inside and prices verified in 2026.
Monumenti 13 min
Girona: what to see in one day, from the cathedral to the Call
What to see in Girona in one day: the widest Gothic nave in the world, the Tapestry of Creation, the Jewish Call, the walls and the Onyar houses.
Viaggi 12 min
Assisi: what to see in one day, between Giotto and Saint Francis
What to see in Assisi in one day: the Basilica of Saint Francis and Giotto’s cycle, Santa Chiara, the temple of Minerva, opening times and practical tips.
Viaggi 10 min
Pergamon Museum closed: when it reopens and what to see instead in Berlin
Berlin’s Pergamon Museum is closed for renovation: when it reopens, what happens to the Ishtar Gate, and which Museum Island museums to see instead.
Musei 8 min
Leonardo’s Last Supper in Milan: how to visit the Cenacolo Vinciano
How to visit Leonardo’s Last Supper in Milan: compulsory booking, prices, opening times and what to actually look at during your fifteen minutes.
Opere d’arte 9 min
7 churches to visit in Paris besides Notre-Dame (updated 2026)
The 7 most beautiful churches to visit in Paris besides Notre-Dame, between Gothic art, history and masterpieces. From Saint-Denis to the Sainte-Chapelle.
10 min
How to visit Bracciano Castle: everything you need to know (updated 2026)
A guide to Bracciano Castle near Rome: the history of the Orsini and Odescalchi families, the legend of Isabella de’ Medici, opening hours and 2026 prices.
Castelli 8 min
Raphael’s School of Athens: all the secrets of this timeless masterpiece (updated 2026)
The School of Athens is a wonderful fresco hiding curiosities not everyone knows. Where to find it, the hidden faces and all its secrets.
Arte del Rinascimento Opere d’arte 9 min
The Memorial Church in Berlin: the "hollow tooth", a warning against war (updated 2026)
The Memorial Church in Berlin, devastated by war and left in ruins as a warning, has a truly unusual history. Here’s why the "hollow tooth" matters so much.
Opere d’arte 7 min
Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina: the most venerated of antiquity (updated 2026)
The sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia in Palestrina is a masterpiece of antiquity and a great oracular site. Here is what to see and why to visit it.
Arte romana Musei 10 min
What to see in Honfleur in one day, for a tour of Normandy (updated 2026)
What to see in Honfleur in one day: the Vieux Bassin, the wooden church of Sainte-Catherine, the Boudin Museum and the places that inspired the Impressionists.
#normandia 12 min
How to skip the line at the Louvre and save time to visit Paris (updated 2026)
Discover how to skip the line at the Louvre museum in Paris and save time to visit the city and other top attractions. Are you ready?
9 min
Visit Caen: 7 things to do and see and my tips on where to eat (updated 2026)
What to see in Caen, Normandy: the castle and abbeys of William the Conqueror, the churches, the museums, the Mémorial and where to eat.
Travel Guide 13 min