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 […]
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 […]
Whether you’re a complete beginner or want to brush up your existing Italian skills there’s a course out there to suit you. Here’s our Italian Language Guide Review… There has never been a better time to learn a language. Gone are the days when you’d have to rely on a fusty old phrasebook to teach […]
After more than ten years of creating a magazine about Italy we thought we’d ask you what you think are the ten best things about Italy. Here’s what you said… Rome! The Eternal City… It’s not surprising that, of all places in Italy, Rome is the most visited. As long as you can avoid the […]
Martin Yarnit shares his favourite spots for enjoying a light aperitivo in Bologna – from top-end cafés to the humble bars that garner the most attention from locals in the know… Italians everywhere enjoy a drink and a snack before dinner, maybe as a break during the early evening passeggiata. But the Bolognese are particularly […]
Verona’s spectacular ancient Roman amphitheatre is an unforgettable place to enjoy grand opera beneath the starry summer sky. Fleur Kinson is dazzled by the magic atmosphere and the vocal fireworks as she attends the Verona Amphitheatre Opera… Sweat, fear, noise, blood and anguish. Not much has changed in Verona’s giant amphitheatre over the last 2,000 […]
Elsewhere in April issue, Freya Middleton tells us of the joys of an Italian wedding. Here are four companies who can make the dream come true for you too… Package Wedding in Italy wants to simplify the wedding planning process, offering couples wishing to get married in Italy exclusive wedding packages, at prices affordable for any […]
The delight of eating at a local trattoria is being among real Italians and eating seasonal, traditional food. Mario Matassa shares his favourite establishment with us, and goes behind the scenes of this Italian Restaurant… The local trattoria in Italy is a theatre, a daily stage show where hundreds of life’s mini dramas are eagerly […]
Follow Marina Spironetti as she discovers the western area of the Bay of Naples, retracing her ancestoral Roman footsteps –with history, legends and the volcano’s own curiosity shop… As soon as I step into my room at the Hotel Parker’s, in Naples’ stylish Vomero district, I head towards the window. I quickly open the blinds […]