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 […]
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 […]
Experience winter in Italy with issue 157 of Italia! magazine featuring a fantastic Christmas gift guide for when you’re stuck on what to buy. Explore Italian Christmas markets in Alta Badia and beyond and discover the best Italian sparkling wines, a perfect alternative to Prosecco. We also have some great ideas for some cool getaways […]
Traveleyes is a company that offers holidays for visually impaired people. Rachael Martin went with them to join a group of sighted and visually impaired tourists on a trip to Verona and Lake Garda. It’s a Sunday morning in Piazza Bra, in the heart of Verona. The square is full of people taking their morning […]
Italia! has partnered with Smart Currency Exchange to offer our readers preferential exchange rates from the UK’s most trusted currency exchanger. Here, Smart’s experts reveal why no-one should be worried about buying in Italy. 10 simple steps So you love Italy, you know your Umbria from your Abruzzo and your orecchiette from your farfalle. But […]
Striking, sun-washed Puglia is a very distinctive bit of Italy, with landscapes and building styles like nowhere else. Beautiful, orderly and affordable, this far-southern region rightly continues to enchant foreign buyers, says Fleur Kinson. Forming the graceful high heel of the Italian boot, Puglia strikes a distinctive shape on the map. And it’s no less distinctive […]
The Sicilian city of Catania had always been unknown to Lorenza Bacino, so when the opportunity arose to visit with a local, she jumped at the chance… With open hearts, Sicilian journalist Francesca Marchese’s family welcomed me into their home in the Catania hinterland and I felt like a prodigal daughter returning after a long […]
Chapter Two – Florence.. I gazed around the Piazza and sipped my cappuccino elegantly, copying the glamorous Italians on the next table. Trying not to get the milky froth all around my mouth. I love to people watch. The tourists racing to keep up with their flag bearing tour guides. The Nonna’s dressed in black, […]
Our experts are here to help with all your questions about Italy. This month, alternative Sorrento, travelling around the south, fractional ownership in Le Marche, and EU driving licences… Alternative sorrento Q: I’d love to visit Sorrento, but still want to have that ‘authentic Italy’ feel. Are there any smaller hotels that might fit the bill? […]
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you won’t see it all in a lifetime, but our new series will guide you through what you mustn’t miss… Perhaps the most iconic of all the tourist destinations in Rome, the Colosseum looms large at the heart of what was once the city centre. There will be […]