2016 Italia! Travel Awards

Welcome all to the inaugural Italia! Travel Awards – our team selects the very best places to visit, museums to view, beaches to relax on and much more. Discover the best of Italy right here… Every month we bring you the experience of Italy, with all the best places to go and all the best things to […]

Crystal Clear, Lake Bolsena

Italy’s northern lakes are very well known, but they’re not the country’s only glittering freshwater. Fleur Kinson explores a volcanic paradise in Lazio that’s overflowing with history. Herbal perfume rises from the earth beneath me and overhead a warm breeze rattles the dark green foliage. I emerge onto a golden cliff where I stop to […]

48 Hours in Capri

Rich in history, glamour and beauty, Capri is also the perfect size for a couple of days’ exploring. Rebecca Burgess gives her highlights of this gem of an island. The island of Capri, rising out of the shimmering Tyrrhenian Sea, has long held an allure for some rather illustrious characters, with figures as prominent as […]

Viewpoint: The Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio was the setting for these locks of love, symbolising an eternal bond. But young couples didn’t reckon with the might of bolt cutters. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence; an emblem of the great city since 1345. But for a brief period in its illustrious reign it also became the site of a […]

Top Five Romantic Places in Italy

Heralded as one of the most romantic countries in the world, Italy has no end of romantic spots to pick from. So move over Venice, Italia! short lists some strong contenders… 1.Florence It sometimes seems as though Florence’s magnificent architecture and piazze were designed to please enamoured couples. Not only does the city house hundreds […]

48 Hours in Lucca

Luckily, though, unlike some regional neighbours, Lucca has managed to avoid turning into an over-commercialised tourist trap. Lucca has been a thriving community since Roman times and before. It was, in fact, such an important centre for the Romans that in 56BC Caesar, Pompey and Crassius met here for their historic pow-wow, which culminated in […]

Great Italian Films: Roman Holiday

We present to you the first in a series of eight of the most memorable starring roles, we begin with Roman Holiday starring style icon Audrey Hepburn… Roman Holiday (1953, Rome, directed by William Wyler. Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck) Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star in this timeless 50s classic, a worthy tribute to the Eternal […]

48 Hours in Valle d’Aosta

Valle d’Aosta is now part of Italy, but it hasn’t always been. Chris Allsop travels to Italy’s smallest region and discovers a valley beloved of kings, popes, and – of course – skiers… There’s something of the hidden kingdom about the Valle D’Aosta, like an Italian Bhutan (but with a lot more ski lifts). Entering […]

48 Hours in Bologna

Renaissance towers, arcaded porticos and a cuisine to die for – Bologna is the perfect alternative to the north’s more famous destinations. Marina Spironetti reports… Bologna, a hedonistic city for connoisseurs, can be underestimated by the average tourist, who often sees it only from the train window on the journey from Venice or the lakes […]

By the Waters of Bardolino 

Young, fruity wines, healthy lake fish, mineral mountain waters and a boom in wellness hotels. Charlotte Lyon finds everything you need to relax and rejuvenate at the serene town of Bardolino  on Lake Garda…  Looking into the bathroom mirror as I step off the three-hour flight from Gatwick to Verona, I do a double-take. Is that really me? The pallid skin, […]