Bellagio on Lake Como has been popular since Roman times, due to its unique location between the three lake branches… With the Alps dominating its northern landscape, Bellagio has long been a town of inescapable beauty and natural drama. It is located at the intersection of the three branches of Lake Como, giving it a […]
Filippo Berio, dressing your dishes in olive oil all year round… Popular olive oil company Filippo Berio has launched a new stylish tin just in time for those early Christmas shoppers. This year’s tin features “The Lady of Viareggio” from one of Italy’s most stylish, Tuscan resorts and home to Filippo Berio – […]
Located in the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the prestigious Caffè Florian is the oldest coffee house in Italy, and has attracted a particularly high calibre of guests over the years… This orchestra, playing al fresco in a time-honoured Italian tradition, are part of the expected luxury of Caffè Florian. Opening in 1720, it is […]
Stuart Haines has long had a passion for exploring the Italian countryside on foot, and has written the Cicerone guidebook Walking in Abruzzo to share his experiences… What was your first experience of Italy? It was as a geology student, searching the Alps above Domodossola for the elusive and beautiful mineral, kyanite. It was September […]
When the countries of Europe embraced the euro they sacrificed part of their identities – Mario Matassa ponders the much-loved lira, and the growing number of Italians who are beginning to support its return… Dolore Euro Più di un semplice valore monetario, una moneta può avere un’anima? Qualunque sia il clima economico, non potrei mai […]
It is often mistaken for being from Abruzzo, but this lesser-known Italian red wine from a village in Tuscany is an absolute gem, as Paul Pettengale discovers… Tuscany is, as any wine lover will attest, one of the most important of Italy’s wine-producing zones, especially when it comes to the reds. The various Chianti wines […]
The Amalfi coast is an array of colour as the first sign of autumn reaches Italy… The first signs of autumn arrive quietly on the Amalfi Coast. I try to hold onto the last warmth of the summer days, which seemed as if they would never come to an end. Yet, the evenings are already […]
Named after the region in which it is produced, delicious Parmigiano Reggiano is by far Italy’s most popular cheese. We test seven and give you a flavour of our findings… The recent earthquake in northern Italy has deeply affected the production of Parmigiano Reggiano. During the disaster, high stacks of shelved cheese wheels – each […]
Find your way around beautiful Tuscany with this extensive guide… TUSCANY by Rebecca Ford, Footprint, £13.99 (paperback) Tuscany has an embarrassment of riches for the visitor, and so it’s no surprise that this exhaustive guide book runs to 320 pages. It features in-depth advice and tips for all the major parts of the region and […]
Delve into the story of the Mafia in this gripping non-fiction novel, ‘The Honoured Society’… The Honoured Society by Petra Reski, Atlantic Books, £17.99 (hardback) This exposé of the Cosa Nostra reveals the startling breadth of the Mafia’s corrupting influence in Italian government and details the expanding operation of the competing ’Ndrangheta whose reach now […]