Italia! top picks: July

Here are our favourite products for you this month! Plenty of summertime inspiration, from al fresco essentials and personalised gifts to travel accessories and ideas for the home… Fishy on a dishy  This Italian ceramic platter is the perfect picnic accessory, £52, www.creativando.nu Discover calabria    Michelle Fabio’s snappy e-guide is crammed with essential info and tips, […]

The Lakes regional property guide

The renowned lakes in the north represent an unwaveringly popular region to buy a home. As a result, property here doesn’t come cheap, but you can still find value for money, and holiday rental potential is strong. But Italy has more places to consider for lakeside living. Look to the central lakes, and to Sardinia, […]

Elderflower fritters

These Frittelle di fiori di sambuco are a delicious summery snack!  Ingredients: 10 elderflower flower heads 100g plain flour a pinch of salt 150ml light beer or lager 1 medium free-range egg groundnut or sunflower oil, for frying a few spoonfuls of runny honey Method: Be sure you know the difference between elderflower and cow parsley… […]

Giotto: the Arena Chapel

Giotto shows the representation of human emotion, injects individuality once again in the people depicted and is interested in conveying a sense of realism. Back in the very early 1300s Padua was a very wealthy merchant city and the Scrovegni family was one of the most wealthy families in the city. Reginaldo Scrovegni had made […]

The Princess Brides

In Ravenna, a Queen gives birth to a daughter whose actions precipitate the founding of Venice. By the early 5th century AD, the Roman Empire was in two parts, ruled by two different emperors in two different capital cities. The eastern half was administered from Constantinople, in Thrace. The western capital was in Ravenna, in […]

Our life on Lake Garda

Shropshire-based David and Leila Church bought a two-bedroom apartment on the southern side of Lake Garda twelve years ago. They stay there for a month every summer and make several week-long visits throughout the rest of the year. At other times they offer the apartment for holiday rentals through a local agency. What drew them to […]

Homes in: The Lakes

Varenna, Lake Como, Italy

Italy is blessed with an abundance of stunning lakes – from romantic giants with Alpine backdrops to crystalline volcanic beauties fringed by leafy hills to secret wild ponds in the middle of nowhere. Fleur Kinson helps you choose the right one for your taste and budget. When Italy isn’t busy wowing us with its stupendous […]

Past Italia: Scilla

Overlooking the Strait of Messina, Scilla is a holiday haven, with a terrible story to tell… Now, don’t let it go spoiling your holiday, because this story isn’t true, but when Odysseus sailed through the Strait of Messina he faced a twin threat: on this side of the water, the Scylla, a sea monster who […]

In Season: July

By now summer is in full swing and there is no shortage of interesting ingredients to try in your dishes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers are all in good supply… Strawberries – Fragole The ultimate symbol of British summertime, these juicy red fruits are equally cherished by the Italians, and thankfully have quite a […]