Cinque Terre hotel Abbadia San Giorgio

Abbadia

Which do you prefer? The five-star touches of a boutique hotel or the warm, welcoming embrace of a family-run B&B? You don’t have to choose at Abbadia San Giorgio on the Ligurian coast, says Sally FitzGerald.   Abbadia San Giorgio is an exclusive boutique hotel nestled in the heart of a peaceful town called Moneglia […]

Italia! Guide – The Grand Tour 2018 on sale now

This excellent Grand Tour 132-page travel guide from the publishers of Italia! magazine is packed with expert travel know-how, stunning imagery and itineraries to help make the most of your next trip to Italy – whether you are planning a short break or a longer getaway to this captivating country.   This glossy guide takes […]

Exploring Italy’s Past

Piazza Duomo, Syracuse

Paul Beston, an experienced guide from Peter Sommer Travels, explains how an appreciation of the layers of Italy’s history adds an extra dimension to any Italian holiday Photos by iStock     There’s no such thing as an Italian tour. You can’t do justice to this magnificent country by reducing it to that homogenised prospect. […]

Four hidden highlights of Rome

Trastevere Rome

Real Rome Tours runs guided tours of Italy’s capital, and they have some fantastic expert tips for hidden Roman gems that you can visit in just one day… Rome is simply iconic – full of amazing sights, sounds and tastes to discover and enjoy. The only downside tends to be the huge number of tourists! […]

Food for thought: a tasty tour of Puglia

Puglia picnic with altamura bread

Mark Nicholls follows the culinary contours of Puglia on a walking – and eating – tour around this unique region of southern Italy Words and photos by Mark Nicholls The darkened inner walls of the baker’s oven begin to glow as the fire takes hold. With a long-handled tool, the baker loads the creamy-coloured dough […]

Rome in a Fiat 500

Fiat 500 tour Rome

Italy has given us many great cars, but there is one that is more iconic than any other. Mark Nicholls experienced a tour around Rome as a passenger in a classic Fiat 500… The streets emit a cacophony of toots and hoots as our drivers whizz us around the centre of Rome. We’re jammed cosily […]

Insider’s Rome: the Villa Borghese

Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577-1633) was a patron of Bernini and Caravaggio. The Baroque legacy at his Villa is a wonder to behold… People are often surprised to learn that, at least as far as major European cities go, Rome actually has a very good green space to concrete ratio. It certainly doesn’t feel like that […]

Verona and Garda: share the adventure

Traveleyes is a company that offers holidays for visually impaired people. Rachael Martin went with them to join a group of sighted and visually impaired tourists on a trip to Verona and Lake Garda. It’s a Sunday morning in Piazza Bra, in the heart of Verona. The square is full of people taking their morning […]

Rome’s best ice-cream parlours

Summer in Rome can be a sweltering affair, so here at Italia! we believe that ice cream is necessity. Lorenza Bacino and Michela Di Carlo seek out the best ice cream parlours in the city to ensure you enjoy the sights despite the heat. San Crispino Pasquale and Giuseppe Alongi and Paola Nesci have been […]

Things to do – Italian Events in April

There are some important dates in Italy this month, with Easter Sunday falling on the 26th, Liberation Day on the 25th, Rome’s birthday on the 21st, as well as St George’s Day, St Mark’s Day, and not-to-be-missed Fermignano Frog Palio… Easter Sunday 16 April Nationwide Many Italians head out of town for family picnics on […]