The capital of Italy’s Tuscany region is home to many interesting secrets… Florence has so much history and culture to offer. Here’s our A-Z of all things Florence. ARNO The river that flows through central Florence begins at Monte Falterona in the Apennines and flows 241km from there to the Ligurian Sea. BOTTICELLI The prolific […]
Get insights into the process of applying for Italian citizenship by descent, and the differences between applying at a consulate and applying in Italy. Applications for Italian citizenship have risen sharply in the past two years, especially among U.S. citizens with Italian Ancestry. The benefits of holding an Italian passport range from travelling to anywhere […]
We follow Marina Spironetti in her discovery of the Bagolino winter carnival – one of Italy’s most beautiful and lesser-known carnivals… Getting to the small town of Bagolino was quite a job. It might have been because of my not-so-accurate map, but certainly the winding mountain road that eventually took me there was neither the […]
Amy McPherson takes a tour around the baroque city of Lecce in Puglia and discovers that there is a lot more to the ‘Florence of the South’ than meets the eye It seems that I am eating all the time in Lecce, which I find makes it appropriate to use this simile: Lecce is like […]
We go behind the scenes of an Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa as he explores the rich and austere festive food and traditions of Italy… To describe a celebration of food as both ‘rich and austere’ might seem something of a contradiction. Yet I can think of no more apt a description of this, the […]
Bologna’s historic porticoes, a pervading symbol of the city’s hospitality, have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. We join novelist and Bologna resident Tom Benjamin for a guided tour of his highlights. (1) The heart and soul of Bologna is Piazza Maggiore, Bologna’s main square, and the porticoes of Renaissance ‘PAVAGLIONE’ prettify what might otherwise […]
Cambridge-based Judith and Michael Portman bought a one-bedroom flat in Florence in 2015. They spend three weeks there every summer and two weeks at Christmas. The rest of the year they rent the flat to international students – often visiting students who are just spending one academic year in the city. What drew them […]
Dreamily perfect countryside and gem-like cities stuffed with art make Tuscany a perennial favourite for visitors and homebuyers in Italy. Properties here make a rock-solid investment, says Fleur Kinson At a glance… The Region: When we think of Tuscany we think of verdant rolling hills dotted with centuries-old farmhouses radiating late afternoon sunshine – much […]
Suffolk-based Elaine Falken bought a two-bedroom trullo cottage in Puglia’s Itria Valley area in 2012. She spends two months there every summer as well as a month over Christmas, and she makes the house available to friends and family as well as offering holiday rentals at all other times of the year. What drew her […]
The best way to see the wealth of sumptuous palaces in Venice is by water, says Sara Scarpa Images by Iain Reid The Grand Canal, Venice’s main artery, is where the most illustrious Venetian noble families lived and where the most prestigious palaces still stand. These palazzi have been the homes of artists, writers, musicians, […]