Like a rainbow of painted plaster, the village of Manarola hangs onto the cliffs above the swirling seas of the Gulf of La Spezia on the coast of Liguria – the home of fine wines and a one-time haunt of Byron’s. The Gulf of La Spezia is also known as the Poet’s Gulf – and […]
Fiat 500, Amalfi by Robert Birchall of Heath Charnock “I took this on a visit to the town of Amalfi when we visited Italy in July 2010 for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I felt it summed up the love affair the Italians have for the original Fiat 500. Spot the little red heart!”
The smuggling of the mortal remains of St Mark to Venice from Alexandria in 828 satisfied a Divine Will – according to the Venetian version of the story, anyway… When, in the 4th Century AD, St Mark the Evangelist allegedly visited the then uninhabited lagoon, an angel appeared unto him saying: “Pax tibi Marce, Evangelistameus!” […]
In 1599, the Capuchin monks of Palermo made a macabre discovery: some of the corpses they had entombed in their catacombs had become naturally mummified. Then the monks decided to preserve one of their own… When the Capuchin monks of Palermo mummified Brother Silvestro of Gubbio they started a trend. From 1599 to 1880, when […]
Gondolas on the Grand Canal by Sian Jones “This was taken from Rialto bridge, it shows the variety of boats using the Grand Canal, as well as the elaborate buildings. My partner and I were there in May, we had been to explore the wonderful Rialto markets. It looks like the gondolas are going to […]
Almost 2,000 years ago, Emperor Vespasiano built the Colosseo in Rome – a giant oval stadium capable of hosting over 50,000 spectators that still stands today. No other monument says ‘Rome’ quite as much as this: the Colosseum, situated towards the south of the central area of the Eternal City (in the grounds of Nero’s […]
A steady plume of smoke and ash continues to spew from Mount Etna- Europe’s highest active volcano. But can we expect another major eruption? Although it’s the tallest volcanco in Europe, it’s pretty difficult to say just how high Mount Etna actually is. With each eruption its height changes – and it erupts often. Currently […]
Chair and Flowers, Bevegna by Peter Colligan “Whilst strolling round Bevagna, one of our favourite towns in Umbria, we came across this delightful little scene by the Roman Amphitheatre. The warm colours are simply delightful.”
Among the most striking views in Sicily are the glittering saltpans between Trapani and Marsala. Dating way, way back to the time of the Phoenicians (who were sailing the Mediterranean from 1200BC), the saltpans on the western coast of Sicily are still active today, desalinating vast quantities of sea water and shipping the recovered salt […]
Every year a festival takes place in Monterubbiano in Le Marche. We trace the history of the flight of the woodpecker. The game takes place in the afternoon, always on the Sunday of Pentecost (the seventh Sunday after Easter), and always in the small town of Monterubbiano, near the Adriatic coast. Four men, on horseback […]