Discover the beauty and history of the Scrovegni Chapel

Exterior of the Arena Chapel in Padua

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer (Exodus 22:25) Photos by Patricia Gartman unless otherwise stated   FAST CULTURE Let us carefully tiptoe with Dante Alighieri, indisputably the Italian language’s greatest poet, as he descends reluctantly yet resolutely into […]

Visiting Venice post lockdown

Exploring Venice

Venetian Sara Scarpa takes a look at the city’s cultural re-emergence after the long Covid-19 lockdown and considers what the future holds… Photos by Sara Scarpa unless otherwise stated   Stopping for a spritz at the foot of Rialto Bridge; Enjoy Respect Venezia is the slogan of the city’s awareness campaign for sustainable tourism; the […]

Ten reasons to visit Vigevano

di Vigevano_castle

Valentina Nicastro introduces us to the highlights of this città ideale of the Renaissance… Photos by Valentina Nicastro unless otherwise stated As a kid growing up in a small town in northern Italy, I couldn’t wait to go out and see the world, and the result was that for a while I totally ignored the […]

Standing at the crossroads in Gorizia

Medieval Borgo Castello

Amy McPherson steps into Gorizia’s multilayered culture to discover a charming fusion city… Photos by Amy McPherson unless otherwise stated   Gorizia is one of those border cities that doesn’t feel quite one or the other. On the one hand, it is characteristically Italian: emotions are thrown around in the wild gestures of hands. Yet […]

Top 5 Castles

italian caste

We take a look at Italy’s Top 5 Castles. Image: iStock 1. Emperor Frederick II built the immaculately planned Castel del Monte near Bari in the 13th century. A masterpiece of architectural achievement, the castle’s octagonal theme is intrinsic to its design. The Italian government bought the castle in the 19th century and began the […]

Avoiding Bernini in Rome

The sculptor and architect created many of Rome’s most iconic sights – you can hardly take a selfie without him bombing you. Words by Joe Gartman, photos by Patricia Gartman   Let us imagine that you are standing in Piazza Barberini, in Rome, gazing at the famous Triton fountain. Triton, the giant son of Poseidon […]

Drive Italia: Alfa Romeo Montreal

Alfa Romeo Montreal

More exclusive than a Jag E-Type or Porsche 911 at the time, the Alfa Romeo Montreal remains an enigma even today… Photo by Getty Images The Alfa Romeo Montreal was introduced at the Montreal Expo ’67 without an official model name. The public and motoring press took to calling the car the ‘Montreal’ and the […]

Drive Italia: Lamborghini Countach

Lamborghini Countach

Epic engine, scissor doors, limited visibility, and wider than a Range Rover – the Lamborghini Countach was the quintessential supercar! Photo by Martyn Lucy/Getty Images Breaking with the tradition of naming cars after famous bulls and bull fighters, word has it that ‘countach’, an exclamation of astonishment in the Piedmontese dialect, was frequently used by […]