If you have ever skied at Chiavenna you will be aware of the concept of the crotto, a cave that has been converted into a restaurant. Rachael Martin revisits the haunts of her youth… Walk into Pasticceria Mastai in Chiavenna on a cold winter’s morning and it’s full of skiers having a quick cappuccino and […]
It looks serene and peaceful today but at the end of the First World War this was the scene of intense fighting between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces – and that wasn‘t the first time the river had seen conflict… Some would say that the purpose of the First World War (to the extent that it […]
Situated in Italy’s northwest, Liguria is the third smallest Italian region, after Molise and Valle d’Aosta. It has borders France to the west, Piedmont to the north and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany along its eastern edge. In the hinterland you’ll find the Ligurian Alps in the west and the Ligurian Apennines to the east. Liguria lies […]
Summers in Sicily are hot and the weather stays pleasantly warm throughout the winter… Read Part 1 of this series here This favourable climate attracts not only peak-season holiday-makers but also those looking for some winter sunshine. Serving these sun-seekers are several Blue Flag beaches, as well as numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites for excursions […]
Summers in Sicily are hot and the weather stays pleasantly warm throughout the winter… Read Part 2 of this series here This favourable climate attracts not only peak-season holiday-makers but also those looking for some winter sunshine. Serving these sun-seekers are several Blue Flag beaches, as well as numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites for excursions […]
In the second part of this series, Mark Nicholls journeys across the hilltops of Sicily and discovers more about Europes most active Volcano… Read Part 1 here Olives and vines Journeying across Sicily takes you through a landscape of rolling hillsides lined with olives and vines, distant red patches of poppies with isolated hilltop castles visible in the […]
Mark Nicholls delves into Sicily’s striking architectural heritage and discovers an island of medieval hilltop towns, cathedrals and artistic inspiration… Sicily is an island that has been stamped by the indelible imprint of all those who have conquered, settled and passed through over thousands of years. It finally became part of Italy in 1860, but […]
This historical region of Italy, which today coincides with the province of Viterbo, was once a mighty kingdom. Heather Crombie ventures into the Land of the Etruscans… “Here be dragons” might be written across the map of Tuscia, undiscovered as it seems to be. Strange and beautiful, with sights straight out of mythology, you may […]
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 […]
For some people, there has only ever been one ‘City of Romance’ Many towns are called the ‘City of Love’ – Rome, Verona and Paris, to name but three. For Sara Scarpa, however, none can match the claims of her native Venice, home to Casanova, Byron, Carnival, and countless secret little places where lovers have […]