Adrian Mourby takes us on another of his guided walks around Venice with a visit to San Polo, the cradle of the city San Polo can claim to be where the modern archipelago of Venice began in the 9th century. While the administration of this great trading empire developed in the lower-lying sestiere of […]
Winter is a great time to visit Florence, and you will see the city in a new light – though if it does happen to snow while you’re there, you’ve been very lucky! You might not find an excuse to stop for a gelato quite as often, but you will avoid the worst of the […]
Val Nicastro visits the “Garden City” north of Milan that is, among other things, home to a palace that one Italian poet described as “Little Versailles” All images © Val Nicastro With an enchanting old town, unmatched natural beauty and plenty to explore, Varese and its surroundings are one of Lombardy’s best-kept secrets. Only one […]
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 […]
A travel guide to the Italian region of Tuscany… Tuscany remains the most popular of Italian regions and is loved by tourists and would-be property buyers for many reasons, not least because of its beautiful countryside and cities laden with Renaissance treasures and historic monuments. But while property prices remain high, the allure does not […]
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 […]
Amy McPherson discovers the healing power of nature in the mountains and ancient forests of Trentino Images by Amy McPherson unless otherwise stated It has just rained. Soft, dense and moist autumn leaves cushion our steps, and I have the urge to pounce beneath the leafy heaps like a cat, to dig my paws into […]