Tuscany regional property guide

Fleur Kinson explores the towns and landscapes of Tuscany, and discovers a surprising and captivating diversity for prospective home-buyers… Photos by Getty Images 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 […]

Get away from it all… in north Sardinia

From beautiful bays to the wilds of the inland reaches, there’s more to northern Sardinia than the glitz of its coast. Amanda Robinson travels away from the tourist hotspots… Photos by Amanda Robinson unless otherwise stated   Ahh, the North Sardinia coast – the glitzy millionaires’ playground in north Sardinia where the jetset have gone to […]

Olive oil on test

Olive oil is essential to Mediterranean food culture – how would Italians live without it? Join us to sample a selection of the best… Olive trees are the oldest known cultivated tree and the oil they produce is referred to as ‘liquid gold’. With its extraordinary health-giving properties, one can see why this glistening liquid […]

Wines from Umbria

Known as the Green Heart of Italy, Umbria has a deep-rooted wine tradition, and despite recent earthquakes their wines are on the rise Umbria, in central Italy, is a region of lush rolling hills, hilltop villages and iconic historic towns. Nestling in the heart of the Italian peninsula, it is landlocked by Tuscany, Le Marche […]

Lake Maggiore travel guide

Rosalind Ormiston shares a few of her favourite places to eat, drink and stay around Lake Maggiore – the perfect place for a laid-back Italian break… Photos by Rosalind Ormiston and Getty Images The location of Lake Maggiore has given it a colourful past, close to the borders of Switzerland, Austria and France. Many people […]

Homes in Le Marche

Garden-like countryside and a gleaming coast make this central Italian region a perennial favourite, says Fleur Kinson… Photos by Getty Images   Set between the sparkling Adriatic and the majestic Apennines, Le Marche enjoys a splendid position. So much about this region seems well-placed and well-proportioned; there are just enough hills, just enough towns and […]

Women’s Day Cocktail

This Women’s Day cocktail is a variation on the classic Mimosa. Though, of course, we are using prosecco instead of champagne… International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It has its roots in early 20th-century socialist movements in Eastern Europe, with the first […]

At the foot of Il Bianco

Rachael Martin spends a weekend exploring the alpine splendour of Courmayeur and its environs in the mountainous region of Valle d’Aosta Photos by Rachael Martin and Auberge de la Maison   What Cortina is to the Dolomites, Courmayeur is to Valle d’Aosta. It’s desirable, often exclusive, with fantastic skiing opportunities right next to the Mont Blanc […]