Jane Keightley exposes herself to new experiences in the city that has become known as a centre for the avant-garde… Turin has always been well known for being the home of The Shroud and, more recently, the place where the car manufacturing company FIAT was based. FIAT became the biggest company in Italy and one […]
Like the city itself, Siena’s top hotel is steeped in history. Sarah Lane enjoys a stay in sumptuous surroundings Siena is indisputably one of Italy’s most alluring cities. With its fabulous art and architecture, strong traditions, delicious food and seductive air, it’s an unforgettable place. Delightful medieval streets dotted with shops and trattorie twist around […]
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 […]
This statuette was commissioned in the mid-1930s to glorify ‘il Duce’. It’s about 18 inches tall, but it carries a story much taller than that… The artist and sculptor Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965) was not what anyone who knew him would have called a ‘people person’. Though obviously talented – albeit in that self-taught way art […]
The sculptural decoration on the three exposed corners of the Ducale Palace proclaims the fragility of man. Venice is a wonder which never ceases to amaze me. It often seems, when I look at old favourites, that I am viewing them for first time, so wonderful is the artistic detail and layered meaning. Saint Mark’s […]
A turbulent era in Italian politics saw the emergence of a great aviator, the flamboyant Marshal Balbo, as famous for his stand against Hitler as for his revolutionary leadership. Of the many colourful personalities to come out of Italy’s fascist era, Italo Balbo was among the most exuberant. He was a prominent member of the […]
Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, Italia! discovers one of the many reasons to visit Emilia-Romagna’s artistically rich city Ravenna, which boasts eight UNESCO world heritage sites. Of the many attractions that draw visitors to Emilia-Romagna’s Ravenna, the over-whelming Byzantine heritage is among the most alluring. Ravenna was the capital of the Western […]
Matera stands in for the Jerusalem of 2,000 years ago in this graphic depiction of the death of Jesus Christ… (2004, Matera. Directed by Mel Gibson. Starring Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci) Mel Gibson directed this highly controversial film that graphically traces the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ’s life leading up to his Crucifixion. It has […]
One thousand miles of open-road racing launched some of the greatest car manufacturers in the world. Italia! explores the turbulent history of the legendary car race The legend of the Mille Miglia is remembered to this day, but what lead to the demise of the great thousand mile car race? In 1927, the race was […]
Most months consist of some kind of festival in Italy – some celebrations more peculiar than others. Italia! discovers some of the weird, but mostly wonderful carnivals. 1. Carnevale di Venezia Venice’s internationally famed carnival attracts thousands of visitors every year. When you consider the scale of the event and number of passionate participants, it is […]