Although it’s been around for a little more than 150 years, Brunello is one of Italy’s most famous and revered (not to mention expensive) wines. Paul Pettengale discovers why… No doubt the first thing you’ll clock will be the prices. These are not typos. The sad fact is, if you’re after viticultural perfection (and these […]
The Vatican Museums are by far the most visited art galleries in Italy. And so they should be. There are more than 20,000 items on display at any one time – and sometimes it feels as if there are just as many people seeing them. The Museums house the collections of five centuries’ worth of […]
High in the hills overlooking Varese is one of the most remarkable hidden treasures you could wish to behold – the rarely seen frescoes of the Sacro Monte de Varese As far as hidden secrets go, the Sacro Monte di Varese appears like the central plot focus in a sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Situated […]
ITALIA! presents a special, in-depth Past Italia! as Freya Middleton explores the long-lasting influence of the Medici family… The Medici family is one of the most extraordinary families in Italian history. They wielded economic and political power in Florence and in Europe for three hundred years. They were one of the wealthiest families in Europe in […]
Stretching from Genoa to Ventimiglia, with charming towns and beautiful beaches, the Riviera di Ponente has so much to explore, whatever the season, says Jane Keightley. Though it is not as well known as the Riviera di Levante, where visitors flock to the Cinque Terre and Portofino, the Riviera di Ponente has a charm all […]
Join us on a road trip from Milan to Arezzo to discover the secrets of this Etruscan town and experience its famous antiques market. We were planning our regular Easter break with the kids and we had all agreed that this year we would be going to Tuscany. It was my Italian husband who suggested that […]
Explore beaches, castles, and thermal gardens as we spend 48 hours in Ischia, a perfect little gem in the glittering Gulf of Naples. Affectionately known as the Isola Verde, the ‘Green Island’, Ischia has so much to offer for a short getaway. The terrain is small enough to explore in just a few days and the […]
Explore Tropea town, the Coast of the Gods and the surrounding countryside with Kate Wickers. Sitting pretty on Italy’s Calabrian toe sits southern belle Tropea. This seaside resort town remains delightfully off the tourist map (compared to other coastal beauties such as Amalfi) and is still more popular with holidaying northern Italians than it is […]
If you’re planning a stay in Rimini, don’t miss a day trip to San Marino, Italy’s closest neighbour and the world’s oldest surviving republic. If you think the Italians are a proud bunch, you haven’t met the Sammarinese. “We’ve not been to a war since the 15th century,” said Maria Sara Forcellini, my tour guide, […]
Spinach and ricotta tortelli are one of Italy’s great comfort foods, delicate parcels of fresh pasta filled with creamy ricotta and soft spinach. Served with tomato and basil, they’re elegant enough for a Sunday lunch yet reassuringly simple to make. Across Italy, stuffed pasta takes countless forms, from the tiny folded shapes of Emilia-Romagna to […]