Mario Matassa visits Volterra, a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, where he discovers the alabaster caves and workshops for which the area is famous The chalky white alabaster from Volterra is considered the finest in Europe because of its characteristic compactness, transparency, veining, softness and smoothness. Although the etymology of the word remains disputed, the […]
Whip up a quick and colourful dessert with this tasty treat, which combines the fruitiness of concord grapes and the sweetness of Moscato wine to round off any meal in style Moscato and Concord Grape Jelly Ingredients For the Jelly: 1½ cups (7oz or 200g) concord grapes 2 tbsps sugar 2 tsps water 3.4 fl oz (100ml) […]
Vibrant Verona, hidden Rome, classic pasta recipes and much more I’m pleased to announce that the latest issue of Italia! is on sale now, available to buy online and from stores across the UK! You can also download the digital edition for Apple devices or online /Android/ Windows 8 devices. In our September Issue 142, we visit Piedmont, where the property market is looking good, and Capri, to enjoy Nina Parker’s […]
Piazzas hold a special place at the heart of Italian life and Italy boasts some stunning examples. With so many it’s tricky to choose one, but we’ve narrowed down five favourites… 1. Piazza san Marco, Venice Famously dubbed “the finest drawing room in Europe” by Napoleon, Piazza San Marco is, quite simply, breathtaking. Even during […]
Just 25 miles off the coast of Lazio, Ponza is a favourite holiday haunt of the Romans. Mario Matassa embarks on a voyage of discovery to Italy’s undiscovered island. There’s something about island holidays that brings out the boy adventurer in me. From the moment I see the ferry navigating its way into port I […]
The winning stroke in this vegetable risotto is the fried artichokes on top. The combination of artichokes and fresh mint to pull through the risotto as you are eating is great. When making your vegetable broth, add the asparagus trimmings to give a good depth of flavour. Risotto Di Verdure – Vegetable Risotto Ingredients 225g (8oz) […]
Italy’s largest lake is famed for its scenery and its gardens. Lorenza Bacino visits some of her favourite horticultural spaces, and finds a cookery course and a wedding venue… Stay in the Grand Hotel Gardone If an air of relaxed fin-de-siècle elegance is what you’re seeking, then this beautiful 19th-century villa and hotel in Gardone Riviera […]
On Sunday 14 August 2016 you could be heading to the Festival Italia at Brands Hatch… In celebration of Italian motoring, Brands Hatch will host the inaugural Festival Italia on the date of 14 August 2016. The event will run on the world famous 1.2 mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit. Race content will be all Italian, […]
A Vespa is, of course, a motorcycle – but it’s also a wasp. Vespa – Wasp It’s obvious, when you think about it, why they called the scooter the ‘wasp’. It sounds like one – and the yellow ones even look like one. The Italian word is clearly very closely related to the English word, and is […]
Discover home décor, luxury Rome and Capri trips and exciting new album releases as well as a fascinating dive into Sicily’s past in our round-up this August… Alessi is More This summer sees the launch of new ranges from the always innovative Alessi Design. If you’re looking to update your bathroom, a simple change of accessories can give […]