The use of stone as a medium for Western art dates back at least as far as Imperial Rome, yet it has not always found favour. Joe Gartman discovers, however, that it is alive and well in Florence… You might be tempted to pass by. It’s just a bright little storefront in the grey façades […]
Cocoa and chocolate have influenced the culture and of Piedmont for over 300 years and café society flourished here around the time of Italy’s unification. Catherine Sidwell explains why Turin is known as the chocolate capital of Italy. She shares her experiences of some of the historic cafés, chocolate shops, gelaterie and the festival ‘CioccolaTO’… The […]
Following our article on Turin for Chocolate lovers, here’s a list of must-visit cafés to experience the very best chocolates in Turin! INFORMATION ➤ Turin Tourist Office For information on and opening times of cafés and shops, seasonal city walking tours and chocolate factory visits. www.turismotorino.org ➤ Palazzo Madama www.palazzomadamatorino.it (Closed on Mondays.) ➤ CioccolaTO www.cioccola-to.it TURIN’S […]
WHAT TO SEE AND DO ➤ Palazzo Ducale & Galleria Nazionale delle Marche Entrance on Piazza Duca Federico +39 0722 32262 www.palazzoducaleurbino.it Hours: Mon, 8:30am-2:00pm; Tue-Sun, 8:30am-7:30pm ➤ Casa Natale di Raffaello< Via Raffaello, 57 +39 0722 320105 www.accademiaraffaello.it Hours: Sun, 10:00am-1:00pm, Mon-Sat, 9:00am-1:00pm and 3:00pm-7:00pm ➤ Oratorio San Giovanni< Via Barocci, 31 +39 0722 910259 >Hours: […]
The busy university town of Urbino is often called ‘the perfect Renaissance city’ – and indeed the birthplace of Raphael rivalled Florence and Siena in its day. Joe Gartman returns to find out if they have got any of their loaned out paintings back yet… Standing at the Punto Panoramico, near the walls of the forbidding […]
With his old homes turned into museums and an annual festival to celebrate his work, Lucca is the perfect place to delve deeper the history of the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, as Charlie Lyon discovers… Tonight, the usual tranquility of the banks of Lake Massaciuccoli is broken. On the open-air stage of the Gran Teatro all’Aperto, which […]
Chris Allsop attends the Sound of the Dolomites festival for world-class music in a breath-taking natural setting, and then discovers the unspoiled gem known as ‘Little Venice’… The hills are alive with the sound of music. Except this is northeast Italy, not Austria, and it might be a tad rude – if not inaccurate – […]
Is the Sicilian town of Taormina the friendliest tourist destination in Italy? Yolanda Zappaterra spends a long weekend there to find out… ‘La sposa arriva, la sposa arriva!’ shouts a small suited child excitedly as the hubbub from the crowd around the Chiesa San Giuseppe rises noticeably and hands begin to dig into bags of […]
Marina Spironetti visits the intriguing city state of Seborga in western Liguria. Fiercely independent, it still boasts its own currency, its own passport and, yes, its own prince… Small countries have always fascinated me. From Andorra to Liechtenstein, from Monaco to San Marino – tiny states with their own history, proud to be different. I […]
Adrian Mourby leaves the planes and trains behind and sets out to reach La Serenissima from a new perspective – Venice by bike & boat… I had never heard of Chioggia until I joined a group of cyclists cycling from Mantua to Venice. I’d never thought about cycling around Italy either until now but it […]