Trento travel guide

Valentina Nicastro shares some of her favourite places to eat, stay and visit when in the gorgeous northern city of Trento. (Photos by Valentina Nicastro unless otherwise stated) What to see & do Castello del Buonconsiglio This splendid castle is the biggest and most important historic building not just in Trento but in the entire […]

48 hours in Trento

The delightful but overlooked alpine town of Trento should be on your radar all year round for a perfect weekend getaway. Words and photos by Valentina Nicastro (unless otherwise stated) It may not be the first place that comes to mind when you’re planning a weekend gateway to Italy, but Trento has all the ingredients […]

Homes in Lombardy

The stylish region of Lombardy combines romantic Alpine lakesides and elegant little cities. It’s long been loved by foreign property buyers, and with good reason, says Fleur Kinson Lombardy photos by Getty Images   With an annual GDP that’s double the size of Italy’s next most productive region, Lombardy has been rightly dubbed the ‘economic […]

Seasonal Sorrento

Free of the summer’s foreign tourists, but no less lively, Sorrento is a beautiful place to be at Christmas – here’s why it’s a perfect festive destination… Words and photos by Fleur Kinson   The Christmas period seems to come earlier and earlier in Britain, with shops piled high with gifts, tinsel and crackers long […]

Molise travel guide

Valentina Nicastro brings us some of her favourite places to stay, eat and visit in Molise – a little-known region of Italy that deserves to be better known… Where to eat Osteria Paradiso An institution in Isernia, serving excellent homemade food from the Molise area. Top dishes include sagne with fagioli (left) – hand-made pasta with […]

Molise: a voyage of discovery

Even here at Italia! we have rarely featured Molise, yet this unsung destination is deserving of your attention. Words and pictures by Valentina Nicastro You’re going where?” This is what friends kept asking me when I proudly announced my decision to visit Molise. Why? Because this small region overshadowed by neighbouring Puglia, Campania, Lazio and Abruzzo […]

Anchovies alla Vernazza

If you like anchovies (alici in Italian), try this recipe from Mario Matassa, which would also work well with sardines… Anchovies are the most commonly served fish in the Cinque Terre, often simply marinated in lemon juice as an antipasto – this is a great way to serve them: Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time […]

Trofie with leeks, tomatoes and basil

Mario Matassa’s recipe for trofie with leeks, tomatoes and basil is a delicious taste of Liguria – known in Italian as trofie alle ligure The area around Cinque Terre, Liguria has a long-standing tradition of dried pasta. Trenette, long, thin linguine-like pasta, are served with pesto, potatoes and green beans. Equally popular today are trofie, […]