Like the city itself, Siena’s top hotel is steeped in history. Sarah Lane enjoys a stay in sumptuous surroundings Siena is indisputably one of Italy’s most alluring cities. With its fabulous art and architecture, strong traditions, delicious food and seductive air, it’s an unforgettable place. Delightful medieval streets dotted with shops and trattorie twist around […]
Seeking out peace and tranquillity, Catherine Sidwell experiences a thermal wellness tour in southern Tuscany… 1. Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort Location: Fonteverde Localita Terme, 1 53040 San Casciano dei Bagni Siena Tuscany www.fonteverdespa.com +39 0578 57241 info@fonteverdespa.com Fonteverde’s philosophy combines physical health, relaxation and beauty. A wide range of spa, massage, yoga, beauty, thermal mud, inhalation and […]
A great love story and an indomitable passion have shaped one of the most memorable garden landscapes in Italy. We re-visit the exotic retreat on the island of Ischia and remember the wonderful Lady Walton… All great gardens are love stories – the love of the gardener for his or her creation, but La Mortella is something special. […]
Welcome all to the inaugural Italia! Travel Awards – our team selects the very best places to visit, museums to view, beaches to relax on and much more. Discover the best of Italy right here… Every month we bring you the experience of Italy, with all the best places to go and all the best things to […]
Historically a trailblazer in garden design, Italy still wows with its gorgeous giardini. Fleur Kinson finds variety in all its splendour on the shores of the northern lakes. Italy, like England, is one of the great gardening nations of Europe and was hugely influential in the evolution of ideas about green spaces arranged for pleasure […]
The smuggling of the mortal remains of St Mark to Venice from Alexandria in 828 satisfied a Divine Will – according to the Venetian version of the story, anyway… When, in the 4th Century AD, St Mark the Evangelist allegedly visited the then uninhabited lagoon, an angel appeared unto him saying: “Pax tibi Marce, Evangelista […]
Relax in style, here’s a quick break down of the very best… If you want a relaxing holiday, then what better than staying at a spa? Take your pick from four of the best spas in Italy. Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni E. Vitali 24, Bellagio (Como) www.villaserbelloni.it Adored by kings, queens, politicians and celebrities, the […]
Italy’s capital is so full of treasures, you could spend years here and not manage to see them all. So what hope is there for the short-term visitor? Don’t panic – Fleur Kinson is here to distil the great city into its most unmissable sights… Photos by iStock For 500 years, Rome was the mighty centre of […]
James Miller travels the east coast of Sicily to discover two cities rich in ancient history and vibrant with modern life… The Roman statesman and scholar Cicero described Siracusa as “The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all.” In ancient times Sicily was once part of Magna Graecia, or Greater Greece, and […]
Known as the Gateway to the Dolomites, the Luson Valley is a hiker’s paradise with a number of trails leading from here into the mountains that surround it… The Germans call it Lüsen, as do its inhabitants. Though we are well inside the modern Italian border here, some 40km northeast of Bolzano, roughly the same […]