The Arsenale – Past Italia

In the eastern Castello district of Venice lies a huge dockyard where revolutionary building techniques took shipbuilding and military manufacturing into the next level This dockyard has been thought to have existed on this site since the 12th century, and it boasts a significant role in Venice’s historical legacy, being an important example of pre-Industrial […]

Pollino National Park

The Pollino National Park represents a dramatically varied region of wonder and wilderness, offering some of the most breathtaking scenery in Italy… The vertigo-inducing Raganello Gorge shown in this photograph cuts through the Pollino National Park and counts as one of the most dramatic features of this impressive area. The national park of Pollino is […]

Romantic Holidays

Sipping a glass of Prosecco, relaxing in a Jacuzzi on your terrace in the hills high above the Tuscan coast, the world takes on a rosy glow… Even more so if you’re with your loved one and you’re their favourite person because you chose and organized this holiday. But how can you be sure that […]

Exploring modern art in Turin

Jane Keightley exposes herself to new experiences in the city that has become known as a centre for the avant-garde… Turin has always been well known for being the home of The Shroud and, more recently, the place where the car manufacturing company FIAT was based. FIAT became the biggest company in Italy and one […]

Top Reads this month

Dreaming of long walks in the Tuscan countryside? Don’t know where to go next with your summer recipes?  We look at Florentine cuisine and the use of garlic, we survey a photographic overview of Italy, and we go to the Apennines, Lake Garda, Venice – and even Australia… Florentine: The true cuisine of florence Emiko […]

Viewpoint – Casole d’Elsa, Arte All’Arte

Once upon a time, deep in the heart of Tuscany, the ancient hilltop town of Casole d’Elsa was filled with plastic objects in the name of art… The small 12th century town of Casole d’Elsa near Siena saw its main street completely transformed by this unusual work of art in 2001. The quirky and colourful […]

A-Z of Florence

This A-Z of Florence will help you on your way if you’re going for a short break or if you’ve been hundreds of times and didn’t know that Florence used to be the capital city of Italy! A-Z Arno The river which snakes its way through central Florence is 241m long and flows from Monte […]

Homes in Emilia-Romagna

Contented and affluent, with rolling countryside and perfect cities, Emilia-Romagna remains a little-known region to non-Italians. But for inexpensive farmhouses in central Italy, ripe for renovation, this is the place to come, as Fleur Kinson explains For anyone who’s ever been to Emilia-Romagna, the unwieldy name is synonymous with quality. Snazzy sports cars, high-quality foodstuffs […]

Creative Holiday

Have you ever wanted to combine a holiday in Italy with a real learning experience? Then a creative holiday is just what you are looking for… Life Holidays Experience a luxury Pilates holiday in Italy with Life Holidays, May to October every year Life Holidays is an experienced holiday specialist, unique to Italy and Sicily.  […]

Spirit of Siena

Like the city itself, Siena’s top hotel is steeped in history. Sarah Lane enjoys a stay in sumptuous surroundings Siena is indisputably one of Italy’s most alluring cities. With its fabulous art and architecture, strong traditions, delicious food and seductive air, it’s an unforgettable place. Delightful medieval streets dotted with shops and trattorie twist around […]