The Sassi di Matera are a series of ancient cave dwellings in the comune of Matera, in Basilicata. In fact there are two series of caves: the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano. And yes, they are still inhabited… Cave dwelling is nothing unusual. It has been estimated that in China there are some […]
Italy is a major player in the EU dairy industry. It is not the biggest producer, Germany is, but in terms of exports to France – arguably a telling statistic – Italy is Number 1 in Europe… As you will be aware, the French and the Italians have a friendly little argument going on between […]
Peaceful, quiet and smaller than some of the country’s more famous lakes, Lake Orta gave Jane Keightley the chance to consider the understated beauty of this sub-Alpine secret… Described by Honoré de Balzac as “a pearl, enclosed by the green treasure chest of the Piemontese hills”, Lake Orta is one of the smallest of the […]
The Madonna della Bruna is the protector of Matera in Basilicata. Her feast day is the 2nd of July, when she is brought from the Church of San Francesco and presented to the people… In northern climes, we tend to reserve our illuminations and fireworks for the winter months, when we are glad for the light […]
The Sassi di Matera are a series of ancient cave dwellings in the comune of Matera, in Basilicata. In fact there are two series of caves: the Sasso Caveoso and the later Sasso Barisano. And yes, they are still inhabited… Cave dwelling is nothing unusual. It has been estimated that in China there are some […]
The Monti Sibillini, or Sibylline Mountains, to give them their English name, will be familiar to our regular readers. Their name crops up often in Italia!, but how often do we represent their beauty in pictures? And what’s in that name? The Sibylline range forms part of the central Apennines where they pass through Umbria […]
Always imagined cycling the Dolmites? Amy Lucinda Jones takes to the roads to see the delights of Trentino Alto Agide from the saddle… One of the best ways to really experience Italy is, in my opinion, not from the comfort of an air conditioned bus, not from a train compartment, nor is it from a […]