Over the past two years, the need to adapt has led to the advent of a new age of tourism, in the form of virtual tours. In fact, the internet has made it possible to visit our country (and others!) from the comfort of your own home. But which are the best virtual tours? Let’s learn more about them!
Over the last two years we’ve realized that the internet has made art and culture easily accessible, both in Italy and around the world. This new type of tourism is extremely useful in specific situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In our opinion, virtual tourism can be a useful service because it allows us not only to explore specific topics, but also to find information before deciding what to see during a trip. For example, which treasures can be seen at specific destinations.
On your behalf, we tried out the official virtual tours of several iconic sites in Italy.
The Tuscany region decided to make three of its villas – part of the UNESCO World Heritage list – accessible to all. If you don’t remember these villas, we discussed them a while back in this blog article.
Hence the virtual tours of three Medici Villas, specifically Villa della Petraia, Villa di Poggio a Caiano, and the Villa of Cerreto Guidi. The latter offers two virtual tours: one for the villa itself, and one for the underground areas. You can view the opulent Medici-style interiors, intended for a range of uses, at your leisure, from the comfort of your home.
Would you like to admire Florence from above? You can do this from the comfort of your home thanks to the virtual tour offered by Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Firenze. Climbing the 463 steps to the top of Brunelleschi’s masterpiece has never been so easy!
This technological innovation will enable you to climb quickly (and without gasping for breath!) first to the drum, and then to “walk” just inches from the great Vasari fresco that decorates the interior of the dome, and look out in awe at the extraordinary views of the city.
We discussed Palazzo Vecchio at length in our article on Florence: if you missed it, you can find it on this LINK.
If you’re planning a visit to Florence and are thinking of booking a guided tourof Palazzo della Signoria, you can get an idea of what’s in store thanks to a virtual tour that will take you into the magnificent rooms of the Medici palace.
Your virtual visit includes the Salone dei Cinquecento, the Apartments of Eleonora, the Hall of Maps, and much more!
This museum contains a wealth of unparalleled artworks. In fact, it’s home to pieces that are studied all over the world, created by remarkable artists such as Mantegna, Caravaggio, Hayez, Piero della Francesca and many others.
The Pinacoteca di Brera has created an interactive virtual tour that gives e-visitors the opportunity to explore all these treasures. You can pause in front of your favorite works, enlarge them, and notice all the details from the comfort of your own home.
But would you prefer to visit the Pinacoteca di Brera on your own, or enjoy a guided tour of the gallery?
The Veneranda Pinacoteca Ambrosiana – the Venerable Ambrosiana Art Gallery – is home to countless priceless treasures.
If you plan to visit Milan, this is one of the museums you definitely shouldn’t miss. You can get an idea of what to expect from a visit with a professional guide thanks to the virtual tour of the gallery’s collection.
The museum contains items of great historical importance: examples include Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus and works by artists such as Raphael.
We discussed the Egyptian Museum of Turin in a couple of articles on our blog, such as the one about a weekend in the Savoy city, and the article giving ideas for family outings.
We always recommend a real-life tour with a professional guide to discover the wonderful finds on display here and the secrets behind the hieroglyphs. But if that’s not possible, you’ll be delighted to know that you can view its treasures (more than 6,000 of them) on a virtual tour made available by the Egyptian Museum.
These are just a few examples of the virtual tours on offer.
Have you tried searching for your favorite works by means of this new form of travel? Would you prefer to visit these places in person? How did the virtual tours make you feel? Don’t forget to let us know in your comments, and remember, we’re always available for your guided tours!
