Five Favorite Obelisks in Rome
Rome is city of obelisks. Here is information on five obelisks that you’ll definitely see while visiting the Eternal City.
Experiences
Tours, outdoor recreation, and other activities to consider for your Italy itinerary
Favorite Italian Words: The Sequel
So many people enjoy learning Italian. It is so melodic – it’s the language of beautiful poetry, music, and the closest to Latin, the “dead” language that spawned dozens of others. While not everyone can travel to Italy, everyone can try to learn Italian, which is the reason that the Five Favorite Italian Words post…
Beautiful Places in Italy for a Photo Op
Just about every spot in Italy is a lovely place to take a photograph. But there are some spots that are truly special, places that make friends and family go “Wow!” Here are a few of them.
Murals of Orgosolo, Sardinia
In the heart of Sardinia lies the village of Orgosolo, a sort of Sardinian “Wild West” known for years for its bandits, who would conduct brazen kidnappings and murders. During the first half of the 20th century, Orgosolo’s notorious reputation grew to such a point that it inspired the film Bandits of Orgosolo (1961). While…
Four Great Golf Courses in Italy
Italy may not be the first place one thinks of for a golfing vacation, but it does have some terrific courses set in stunning locations, many of which are near the tourist routes of Rome, Florence, and Milan. So if you’re a golfer interested in hitting the links in Italy, you’re in luck. Golf in…
Painting Italy: An Artist Profile
The beauty of Italy has inspired countless artists through the years, including ones who live here in the United States. Today, I am profiling artist William Renzulli, who was moved to paint his ancestral home Castelnuovo della Daunia in Puglia after a family reunion visit in 2008 and who will soon be headed to Bologna…
Five Favorites: My Favorite Italian Words
What are your five favorite Italian words? In this post, an Italy-focused travel writer answers the difficult question.
Buon Natale
Like many of you, I have already started my Christmas vacation. So, I thought I’d check in one last time before December 25 and share with you some of the prettiest Christmas pictures from Italy this year. I’ve done this by creating a gallery on Flickr. My Buon Natale 2009 gallery will feature up to…
Five Favorites: Recipes from Rome
Five recipes from Rome that are easy to enjoy anywhere. Eleonora Baldwin shares her favorite Roman recipes.
World’s Biggest Christmas Tree in Gubbio, Umbria
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…
Italy’s Most Unusual Religious Relics
For every Biblical tale and saintly life, there is at least one precious relic housed in Rome, the Vatican, or in one of Italy’s thousands of churches.
Vampires in Volterra: ‘Twilight’ Tourism in Tuscany
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.
True Crime in Tuscany: The Monster of Florence
The Monster of Florence is a true crime tale about a serial killer who terrorized the Tuscan hills around Florence for almost 20 years.
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How To Make Bolognese Sauce [Video]
Here’s a great way to bring Italy home – learn how to make Bolognese sauce! There are dozens of instructional videos out there on how to make hearty Bolognese sauce. This one from GialloZafferano, a well-known Italian cuisine website and YouTube channel, is one of the most authentic ones that I have found. And this…
Abruzzo’s Beffi Triptych
The Beffi Triptych spends time in the U.S. following the devastating earthquake in Abruzzo.
Rumblings in the Wine World: The Brunello di Montalcino Wine Scandal
It has been a little under two weeks since Italy announced the findings in the Brunello di Montalcino scandal. In case you haven’t been following this case, Italian authorities — prompted by the United States — started an investigation to find out whether some renowned manufacturers of Brunello di Montalcino were making their wines with…
Ecotourism in Cinque Terre
Protect Cinque Terre offers guests the opportunity to work with locals in landscape preservation.
The Real Pinocchio
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…