Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore, Italy

Isola Bella, translated means Beautiful Island, is located on Lago Maggiore in Nothern Italy. Originally the island's coast was rocky but Carlo III of the influtential house of Borromeo had the rocks removed and gave the island the shape of a ship. Palazzo Borromeo is a masterpiece of architecture, constructed in 1632 with pompously decorated rooms, beautiful paintings and gobelins. The palazzo is not the only sight on the island that is likely to take your breath away.  There are  four artificial caves, all beautifully decorated with baroque elements, gardens with English and Italian designs where you just want to walk or sit and enjoy the beauty of the wonderful nature all around you.
Thank you Erika for this wonderful postcard !!!

Trulli of Alberobello, Italy (UNESCO)

Alberobello is located in Apulia, Italy and is famous for the wonderful Trulli buildings. Legend says that the Trulli were invented to circumvent the paying of taxes. They are all built with loosely fitting stones, found in the surroundings, without any mortar. According to legend, that way, the houses were easy to dismantle and did not count as permanent settlements in case the tax collectors were touring the area . The roofs often have symbols painted on the stones, mostly of Christian origin. Some of the houses are over 300 years old.
Standing on the opposite hill looking down to the part of town with the Trulli, it looks like a sea of gray jelly bag caps, totally enchanted !!
In 1996 the Trulli of Alberobello were inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List.
I sent this card home from our visit in this beautiful place.

Ravello, Amalfi Coast, Italy (UNESCO)

Ravello is a small town an a rock 350 meters above the Amalfi Coast in Campania, Italy. It was the perfect place for a shelter from barbarian invasions in 5th century. 400 years later it became once again a refuge, this time for several rebelious noble families fleeing the authority of the Doge. In the 11th century Ravello's importance rose due to the production of "Celendra Wool" but then declined again under the Norman rule. This change in fates, however drastic, could never destroy the town's breathtaking beauty and charm. Quite a number of celebrities fell in love with Ravello, like Greta Garbo, Winston Churchill, Richard Wagner and a lot more.
Today it is a major tourist attraction also because of the spectacular view down to the Amalfi coast. In 1997 it was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the site Costiera Amalfitana.
Thank you so much Giulio Fragonara for this wonderful postcard !!!

Venice and Grand Canal, Italy (UNESCO)

The Grand Canal is one of the most important water-traffic corridors of Venice. It is 3.8 kilometers long, up to 90 meters wide and the average depth is 5 meters. The banks are lined with more than 170 buildings, palazzos dating back to 13th up to 18th century. They rise out of the water without pavement, so the only way to reach them is by boat.
A major attraction for tourists are gondola rides along the canals of Venice.
Thank you Edoardo Galletti for this amazing evening view !!

Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St John of the Hermits), Palermo, Sicily, Italy (UNESCO)

St. John of the Hermits is located in Palermo, the capital city of the beautiful island of Sicily, which is part of Italy. I won this card in a Facebook lottery, and when checking on the church I was surprised to find out it was a missing UNESCO Site in my collection. Big smile !
The origins of the church go back to the 6th century. It was later converted into a mosque, then again back into a church. In 1136 it was entrusted to the Benedictine monks of Saint William of Vercelli.
It was remodified a few times, but somehow the architects always kept to the quite distinct Arab style. It was named the Arab-Norman Culture. Around 1880 the church was restored again, this time attempting to return it to the medieval look. The red domes, though, still make it very clear that there was a strong Arab influence.
St. John of the Hermits is part of the UNESCO Site Arab-Norman Palermo and Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale.
Thank you very much Beate Di Guardia for this beautiful card !!!

Basilica Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy (UNESCO)

The beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, designed by Baldassare Longhena in Baroque style,  is located on the narrow finger of Punta della Dogana between the Canale Grande and Giudecca Canal, just opposite of the Piazza San Marco, Venice. It was built in 1631 to commemorate the end of an unusually bad outbreak of the plague a year before which killed a huge number of people.
Thank you Edoarde Galletti for this awesome view of the Basilica !!!

Venice Mapcard, Italy

I was really happy to receive this officical Postcrossing postcard from Monica, showing a map of Venice, Italy. I've been to that amazing city before, and cannot wait to get there again. So much history, so many awesome buildings. Thank you very much Monica for bringing back fond memories!

Lago Nero, Dolomites, Italy (UNESCO)

Lago Nero (Black Lake) is located at 2,200 meters height in the Brenta Dolomites, one of many lakes and ponds in the area. The name derives from the very dark blue colour of its waters. If you ever visit, don't bring your fishing tackle, as there are no fish in this lake, only a variety of small organisms call these waters home.

Dolomites, Italy (UNESCO)

This beautiful postcard with a really nice stamp I received from Barbara and Elmar Knieps. The card shows various images of UNESCO  World Heritage Site Dolomites, a mountain range in northeastern Italy. There are 18 peaks, some of them rising above 3,000 meters height and the landscape is really spectacular. The Dolomites were inscribed in 2009

Manarola, Le Cinque Terre, Italy (UNESCO)

Manarola is one of the villages of the Cinque Terre, located in the province of La Spezia in Northern Italy. I visited this beautiful place, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, during our Mediterranean cruise. Of course I had to buy cards and send them home for my collection, this being one of them. :)

Naples, Italy (UNESCO)

This postcard I sent home from our Mediterranean cruise.
It shows a typical street in the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarters). It is one of the poorer parts of this city. In the 16th century the "Quartieri" were created to house the Spanish garrisons who were to quench the revolts of the loacal population. The buildings are usually 6 storeyed houses with a roof terrace and inner courtyard.
The Quartieri Spagnoli are part of the old town of Naples and thus belong to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Naples, Italy

Beautiful Napoli, hometown of the pizza is a place filled with colour, history and culture. It sprawles along the coast of the Gulf of Naples, close to the volcano Vesuvius, which can be seen in the background of the card.
I loved it there and sent this card home for my own collection when cruising the Mediterranean.

Le Cinque Terre, Italy (UNESCO)

Le Cinque Terre is a breathtaking part of the Italian coast. I visited there in May this year during our cruise and I was absolutely amazed by the beauty of this area. It was raining when we arrived, how much more beautiful it would have been in bright sunshine!
The "Five Lands" consist of 5 villages, Monterosso, Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Manarola. The villages, coastline and the surrounding hills are the Cinque Terre National Park which was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
I sent this card to be part of my collection.

Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy

The Piazza del Plebiscito is a large square in cental Naples with the Church of San Francisco di Paola. I sent this card myself when visiting Naples during our Mediterranean cruise.

Palazzo delle Ragione, Padua, Italy

The Palazzo della Ragione in Padua is said to have the largest roof without the support of any columns in Europe. Construction began in 1172 and it was finished in 1219.
This card was sent by Edo for a Postcrossing Round Robin.

St. Magdalena and Geisler Group, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

What a breathtaking landscape!  Small village of St. Magdalena in the Villnöß Valley with the Geisler Group in the background is one of the most famous photoshots of the Dolomite Mountains.
This beautiful card was sent by Barbara and Elmar Knieps from their trip to South Tyrol.

Venice Map, Italy

Great mapcard of the beautiful city of Venice in Italy sent by Ella for the Postcrossing Favourites tag.

Cathedral St. Nicholas of Bari, Sassari, Sardinia, Italy

Selina Careddu sent me this great postcard of the Cathedral St. Nicholas of Bari in Sassari on the Island of Sardinia. Sassari is the second largest city on the island. The cathedral was built in the 13th century and enlarged in Catlan Gothic style in 1480. The entrance is in Baroque Spanish Colonial style and was added in the 17th century while the bell tower is in Romanesque style.

Cagliari Lighthouse, Sardiinia, Italy

Selina Carreddu sent me this wonderful view of the lighthouse of Capo S. Elia near Sardinia's capitol city Cagliari. A welcome addition to my lighthouse collection.

Rome, Piazza San Pietro, Vatican (UNESCO)

Evening view of the Piazza San Pietro in Rome, packed with pilgrims from all over the world. The card does not say but it could be the night before Easter.
The great card was sent by Raluca Marila for the WiP Name Swap.