If you ever find yourself in Emilia-Romagna, Ravenna is an absolute must. It really is a treasure trove of art and culture, writes Sara Scarpa. Above me is depicted a dark blue sky full of golden stars.The many thousands of tiny mosaic tiles set in various inclinations seem to capture and cascade light onto anyone […]
Sally FitzGerald discovers Castello del Nero, the perfect Tuscan hideaway just off the road between Florence and Siena. When a hotel is voted as having ‘The Most Beautiful Bathroom in The World’ by Harper’s Bazaar, you head along with a certain level of expectation. The bathroom in question belongs to Castello del Nero, a 12th-century castello […]
Hertfordshire-based Carole and David Montrose own a three-bedroom country house a few miles from Ascoli Piceno in southern Le Marche. They try to spend all of the school holidays there with their daughters Mandy and Jessica (pictured above),and rent the house to visitors at other times of the year. What drew them to Le Marche? “David […]
Ferrara was Europe’s first modern city, and plans laid here have been copied across the continent. Sara Scarpa visits the often overlooked city of the Este family… One evening earlier this year, I watched a television programme about the Signorie, the governing bodies of old Italy, and was fascinated by the stories of these famous […]
Bring some Italian style to the festive season with our fantastic Italia! Christmas gift guide. Featuring gift ideas for the whole family! Marche Leather Goods Beautiful leather goods including handbags, manbags and purses. All lovingly designed and totally handmade from the very finest Italian leather by local artisan producers, specially sourced for you by From […]
There are many ways to see Italy, but surely one of the most unique has to be by steam train. Mark Nicholls enjoys a nostalgic steam train tour across the Apennines from Rimini to Florence, then to Siena, Pisa – and Pistoia, the home of Italian steam. The air dances, black smoke drifting on the […]
“Go and catch a falling star, get with child a mandrake root…”. This begins John Donne’s poem, and another writer created another literary work a century before, that dealt with a virtuous woman, and with the magical mandrake plant. So begins John Donne’s Song, a poem that was probably written early in the 17th century. The poem lists […]
It’s never too early to start planning next year’s holiday to Italy – so from Amalfi and the islands to Lake Garda and Liguria, let Italian holiday specialists Citalia inspire you… With nights drawing in and leaves starting to turn, we think it’s the perfect time to start dreaming of beach-front trattorias, al fresco espressos and daily […]
Alan Reed and his wife Susan run painting holidays in Italy. This is a beautiful and unique way to explore everything that the country has to offer. Here he tells us all about his journey. It was my wife Susan who first introduced me to Italy. She had lived in Venice for five years and […]
Dawn from Appassionata talks about the moment they began viewing properties that would lead them to fulfilling their dream…. Our weekend in Florence was over in a flash and we reluctantly flew back to London Stansted airport. Low grey cloud and drizzle welcomed us with open arms. We drove home through the gloom and heavy […]