Learn more about travel destinations in Italy, its top cities and regions. Trip planning resources include itineraries, tours, and day trips.
Rockefeller Center has nothing on this tree. The biggest Christmas tree in the world is, in fact, in Gubbio, Umbria. But this is not any tree. No, this is not a tree at all. Gubbio’s Albero di Natale is a dazzling neon feat–and Guinness Book of World Records holder–that has been lighting up the hills…
Italofile guest contributor writes about five of her favorite things in the city of Lucca in Tuscany.
Eight beautiful hill towns to put on your Umbria itinerary.
New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series, has some scenes set in the Tuscan town of Volterra. Learn more about Volterra, including its vampire tour.
Le Marche is known as “Italy in one region,” for it has mountains, beaches, and beautiful hill towns. Here are the top 5 things to do in Le Marche.
The Beffi Triptych spends time in the U.S. following the devastating earthquake in Abruzzo.
Protect Cinque Terre offers guests the opportunity to work with locals in landscape preservation.
Last November, the New York Review of Books released Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio under its NYRB Classics imprint. The tale, as reviewed by Tim Parks in the latest issue, is much darker than the Disneyfied version. After the jump is Parks’ full review. As always, I urge you to subscribe to NYRB; they…
The full extent of the damage to L’Aquila and the surrounding area after yesterday’s 6.3 earthquake is still not known. As of now, there are at least 179 confirmed dead and numerous buildings, including the Church of Maria di Collemaggio, lie in rubble. Even though this is still a developing story, a lot of interesting…
I just learned that today is Venice’s 1,588th birthday, according to blogger and Venice Kayak businessman René Seindal. Here’s a nice, brief history lesson: Dear Venice, happy 1588th birthday – René Seindal.
I was recently doing some research on Genoa (Genova) and found that the old city, known for its port and as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, has several kid-friendly activities, almost all of which can be found around the port. From the port, families can take whale- and dolphin-watching excursions. Whale Watch Liguria offers the…
Romantic Rome is a very popular place for couples. Nearly every cobbled street in the Eternal City, at least in the city center, inspires a romantic gesture, a kiss, or even a proposal. It is folly to try to list all of the romantic spots in Rome. But here are nine places — some obvious,…
From extensive catacombs to spooky church tombs, Rome is like an instant haunted house and is a great place to visit during Halloween.
Italian wine enthusiasts (that includes most of us, right?) may find this past weekend’s 60 Minutes story on Italy’s Antinori family intriguing. Considered one of Italy’s premier winemaking clans, the Antinori have been in the wine business for more than 500 years. Today, even the Antinori daughters are in on the act. To learn more…
Rome’s leafy Protestant Cemetery is the final resting place for Keats, Shelley, and Gramsci.
Tuscany has more than a dozen wine routes. These are known collectively as Le Strade del Vino.
Time to add two more Italian sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In July, UNESCO inscribed the Po Valley towns of Mantua and Sabbioneta and the Rhaetian Railway, which passes through the Swiss Alps into Tirano, Italy. Both new sites are located in the region of Lombardy. Mantua (Mantova) and Sabbioneta were selected for…
Florence may feel like a fairy tale city for adults, but kids aren’t always impressed. That’s mostly because they’ve yet to study or appreciate the art, architecture, and history that have made the Tuscan town one of the world’s most favored destinations for generations. Enter Context Travel. The walking tour company, which I have mentioned in…