One thousand miles of open-road racing launched some of the greatest car manufacturers in the world. Italia! explores the turbulent history of the legendary car race The legend of the Mille Miglia is remembered to this day, but what lead to the demise of the great thousand mile car race? In 1927, the race was […]
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 […]
Tweak your culinary skills with this deliciously fresh salad… I have fond memories of this salad and of eating it in Syracuse, Sicily, with my father. Some friends there grow lettuces, and this salad was part of a wonderful meal after a long, dusty drive to their farm. It was the first time I […]
Luckily, though, unlike some regional neighbours, Lucca has managed to avoid turning into an over-commercialised tourist trap. Lucca has been a thriving community since Roman times and before. It was, in fact, such an important centre for the Romans that in 56BC Caesar, Pompey and Crassius met here for their historic pow-wow, which culminated in […]
Florence is the perfect venue for a weekend away if you simply want to be a tourist: there’s so much to see, read about and photograph, and it’s one of those rare places where there’s really no point in trying to blend in with the natives – try to and you’ll be spotted a mile […]
Chris Allsop last visited Tuscany as a young boy. Thirty years later he decided to go back… The last time I was in Tuscany, I mostly chased pigeons. I was six, on a family holiday, and the astounding art heritage of Florence was no match for the challenge of putting the wind up every pigeon […]
Everyone knows the stereotypes about Italians and driving – fast, impatient, aggressive, appearing to consider red lights as advisory… But there are more specific quirks that may take you by surprise. So, to make your driving experience in Italy a bit more predictable, here’s Gordon Craigie’s Top 10 Italian Driving Habits… Illustrations by iStock 1 Wavering […]
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 […]
With its illustrious history and array of natural wonders, Alghero is certainly a place with plenty to explore. Marina Spironetti unlocks the secrets that belong to this sun-kissed Sardinian city. The light. The most special thing about Alghero, in my opinon, is the light. Especially in the evening, when the sea-facing walls seem to catch […]
Italy’s Cinque Terre is the stuff of postcards, and its colourful coastal railway is as pretty as a picture. Tristan Rutherford takes a train journey of discovery along the Ligurian coast. Central Italy is snowbound, so it is a shock to see La Spezia Station in radiant green. Palm trees run alongside the tracks in […]