The final post in my New Year’s Resolutions series, which includes Health and Fitness and Learning Vacations in Italy, focuses on doing good while on vacation. Of course, Italy may not be the first place you think of when you consider volunteering your time – indeed, Haiti comes to mind – but there are a…
If you don’t know what to do on a rainy day in Rome, try these suggestions.
What are your five favorite Italian words? In this post, an Italy-focused travel writer answers the difficult question.
Five recipes from Rome that are easy to enjoy anywhere. Eleonora Baldwin shares her favorite Roman recipes.
Coming up with three of my best travel secrets for Italy is no easy task. Alas, I’ve been tagged by Robin Locker at My Mélange to come up with my list, just as she has over at her blog. In fact, since I had difficulty paring down my favorites, I’ve come up with my non-Italy…
Italofile guest contributor writes about five of her favorite things in the city of Lucca 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.
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…
By now, you’ve probably heard about the case of the American girl and her Italian boyfriend accused of murdering British student Meredith Kercher. As it stands now, American Amanda Knox is set to serve 30 years in an Italian prison. Is she guilty? I really don’t know, as I haven’t followed the details of the…
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.
Large parts of Italy were once united under the Spanish flag, with conquests in Naples and Sicily by the houses of Aragon and Bourbon, among others. Even Milan and Parma were under Spanish rule at one point. I confess that I am not an expert on Spain’s influence on Italy, so you may want to…
Tuscany has 230 kilometers of coastline plus a cluster of islands, making it perfect for a beach holiday.
San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran) is the basilica dedicated to the Bishop of Rome, better known as the Pope. It is where the Pope delivers his Holy Week address on Holy Thursday. This massive church not far from the Colosseum is one of four ancient papal basilicas along with St. Peter’s, Saint Paul Outside…
San Paolo Fuori Le Mura, known in English as Saint Paul Outside the Walls, is one of the most important churches in Rome. It houses the shrine of Saint Paul. Along with St. Peter’s, San Giovanni in Laterano, and Santa Maria Maggiore, San Paolo is one of Catholicism’s four patriarchal basilicas. Each of the four…
Now that we’ve entered the Holy Season, tourism to Rome is going to start heating up again quite quickly. Of course, you can follow the pilgrimage throngs around the Lenten Station circuit. Or, you can travel outside the city walls to check out the Via Appia Antica. David Farley’s one-day itinerary along the ancient road…
Rome has several city pass options, but the best known—and most popular—is the Roma Pass. The 48-hour Roma Pass entitles the holder to “free” entry to one museum, while the 72-hour Roma Pass entitles the holder entry to two museums. Additionally, the Roma Pass offers reduced rates to other museums, access to all public transport,…
I recently received an e-mail from an Unofficial Guide reader asking about the best places to dine near the Roman Forum. The Forum “complex,” which includes the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Trajan’s Market (and, to a lesser extent, the Capitoline and the Vittoriano) is ultimately a tourist area. So, as like in other…