Italy - The Aniene valley and Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli

"The Tiburtino territory, characterized by a richness of its waters and a particular geomorphological conformation of the valley crossed by the Aniene River, was frequented already in very ancient times, as shown by the numerous remains of the first civilization that settled there during the Upper Paleolithic. In the caves near Ponte Lucano, along the travertine embankments on the right bank of the river, were found flint tools, deer bone fragments, and numerous objects decorated with geometric and animal figures made from river pebbles.

The Aniene River is the territory's most important stream; it originates at the boundary between the Latium and Abruzzo regions, in the Simbruini Mountains, unwinds through the valley to reach Tivoli and, after the drop in height over the large waterfall, arrives, through the Roman campagna (countryside), to Rome, where it flows into the Tiber. The abundance and continuity of the waters feeding it make the Aniene a river of a good capacity, used since ancient times to supply aqueducts. The river has always been an important economic resource for the town of Tivoli: navigable from Ponte Lucano, it was the main route for transporting travertine to Rome. In the Tivoli area, the production activities that settled in the territory, first handicrafts and then industry, exploited the energy supplied by the water for motive power. With the power supplied by the Aniene water drop, the first hydroelectric power plant was built at Acquoria and opened in 1886, making the town of Tivoli the first one in Italy to have electric lighting."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Parco Villa Gregoriana Tivoli, Roma. Spectacular water villas. Thanks to Alessandro of Italy. Received August 2018.

Italy - Volterra: Historical City and Cultural Landscape

"Compared with other important centres of Etruscan origin that experienced significant historical and town-planning developments in subsequent centuries, such as those that can be found in Central Italy, in particular in Tuscany and Northern Latium, the city of Volterra is remarkable because it has preserved the spatial organisation, structure, materials, and shapes typical of the Communal age almost in full, in a rich chronological stratification. The testimony borne to an ancient, prestigious history of urban settlement, art and manufacturing is compounded by the peculiar mining activities concerning metals and rare stones such as alabaster, within an outstanding natural context with peculiar morphological features."

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Colters multi-views sent by Isabetta of Italia. Grazie.

Italy - Pelagos: The Cetacean Sanctuary

"The Sanctuary includes marine areas within both inland waters and territorial waters (twelve mile zone) of France, Italy and the Principality of Monaco. It also includes the neighbouring high seas. The Italian regions involved are: Liguria, Sardinia and Tuscany.

The portion of basin between Liguria and Provence have been known since the ancient time to be the home for many species of whales and other marine fauna. The protected area accounts for about 100.000 km2 of international waters between Tolone (France), Capo Falcone (West-Sardinia) and Fosso Chiarore (Tuscany). Nowadays, it is possibile to navigate through this area to study the marine protected species. The natural wealth of this area have inspired by Prince Ranieri III of Monaco, in the autumn of 1970, the creation of a pilot zone aiming to combat marine pollution in this Mediterranean area renowned for its climate that attracts a large amount of tourists as a pleasant place for holidays." Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Multiview of Riviera Ligure with picture of the whales living in this Cetacean Sanctuary. Thanks to Irene of Italy.

Italy - Hanbury Botanical Gardens

"West of Ventimiglia, in the westernmost part of Liguria, shortly before the French-Italian border, there lies a 2-km long coastal plan called Piana del Latte - Latte being the name of the stream crossing it. Ever since the second half of the 19th century, this area has been characterised by a unified system of settlement, i.e. by the suburban villas built by wealthy families of Ventimiglia for their leisure hours with the relevant agrarian landscape. The villas date back to different periods, ranging from the 16th century up to the early 20th century, and highlight the long-established vocation of this area, which has always been especially well suited for leisurely settlements and agricultural production thanks to its temperate climate, rich soil, and beautiful landscape..." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Giardini Botanici Hanbury, Universita Degli Studi de Genova. This garden with exotic species is located about 5km from the French border. A matching Hanbury Garden stamp used. Thanks to Marta of Italy.

Italy - Orvieto

"Orvieto rises on a natural tableland at the summit of a 150-metre-high tufa cliff emerging, much like an island, from the surrounding plains. The city's distinctive feature comes from the particular relationship between this sheer cliff and the fabric of the city dominated by its imposing cathedral. Oriveto is of Etruscan origin with the more ancient traces dating back to 9th century BC; the necropolis and other findings indicate however, that the Etruscan settlement reached its peak development only between the 6th and 4th century BC and then declined in Roman times. During the early Middle Ages, the cliff's strategic importance as a natural fortress was once more appreciated; a new settlement developed around the year 1000 and became a free Commune in 1137. At the centre of a vast territory, Orvieto's social, political and economical importance progressed rapidly, inducing important building activities - stately homes, towers and churches - and favouring the development of arts and crafts with the manufacture of refined handicrafts. The city reached its maximum expansion between the 13th and 14th century and its very particular urban structure has since remained basically unchanged. Orography obviously conditioned the urban structure so that the city's perimeter coincides with the borders of the tableland. The city centre is laid out on an East-West axis and its development shows an interesting functional polycentrism, featuring two new axes, at right angles to the main one, leading to two new squares designed at the same time as the respective monuments (Piazza del Duomo and Piazza del Popolo) in addition to Palazzo Comunale's square in the ancient centre..." Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Multi-view of Orvieto, located near Rome. Thanks to Martha of Italy.

Italy - Cascata delle Marmore and Valnerina: Monastic sites and ancient hydrogeological reclamation works

"Cascata delle Marmore and Valnerina: Monastic sites and ancient hydrogeological reclamation works: Unlike many other Italian and European landscapes that have become unrecognizable as a result of extensive alterations performed during the last century, the Valnerina maintains its original authentic features. The territorial structure has remained unchanged, even in its minor features, so that the different periods from Antiquity to modern times can be easily traced (water-control systems, monasteries and isolated churches, road network, farms, urban settlements, villas and castles). Also the hydro-electric plants in the lower valley are worthy of notice; they were implemented in the first half of the XX century to exploit the waters of the Cascata delle Marmore and are now inactive, but they represent one of the best preserved examples of water-related industrial archeology. An earthquake struck the Apennines in Umbria and Marche in 1997 and caused serious damage to several monuments and minor edifices. Following this event all the buildings involved were restored and consolidated under the strict supervision of the competent authorities..." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

The Cascata delle Marmore (Marmore's Falls) is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. Its total height is 165 m (541 feet), making it one of the tallest in Europe and the tallest man-made waterfall in the world. Thanks to Marta of Italy - grazie, ciao.

France - Italy - Mont Blanc Massif (inscription as cross-border natural heritage, with France and Switzerland)

"The Massive one White Mount of which the summit (4.810 meters) is the more top of Europe is a unique natural environment and exceptional. The Massive one is of a perfect legibility and s'individualise itself itself: this is the mountain the more student, to the point of curvature of the alpine arch, 18 or the chaine is the thinnest and oh the others massive big separate themselves A distances as to mark his preeminence. The White Mount is the alpine more known mountain of all the Arch." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Postcard 1 - France
Mount Blanc, Chamonix with special Chamonix cancellation.





Postcard 2 - Italy

Italy - Via Appia "Regina Viarum"

"Via Appia is the first and most important of the great roads built by the Ancient Romans and is, therefore, also known as "regina viarum". It was built towards the end of the IV century BC, in 312, to ensure swift and direct communication between Rome and Capua. According to the Roman historian Livy, it was built by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus and named after him..." 

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Via Appia antica of Rome. Postmarked Roma Fiumicino August 16, 2010 and arrived in Penang on August 24, 2010. Thanks to Amme of Rome, Italy.