Sicily? A holiday you can’t refuse

Are you tempted to visit Sicily? Michelle Jackson, The Novel Traveller and friend of Travel Department, shares her highlights of this wonderful part of Italy. Before we start… Now that Covid vaccinations are progressing well the world is slowly starting to open again for some well-deserved travel experiences. Italia! have partnered with Travel Department to help […]

Temples, goats and almond blossom

The Temple of Concordia, sicily

On a hilltop in Sicily stand the ruins of what was once part of a great city – Joe Gartman explores the Valley of the Temples… Photos by Patricia Gartman   It’s called the Valley of the Temples, though it isn’t really a valley at all. It’s a flat ridge on the outskirts of Agrigento, […]

A Sicilian escape

Swimming pool at the Verdura Resort

Sarah Rodrigues discovers a world of relaxation and hospitality at the Verdura Resort near Agrigento in Sicily… Photos by Verdura Resort and Sarah Rodrigues   Standing atop a look-out point surveying the Verdura Resort, it’s striking how insignificant the construction seems in the context of its expansive, 230-acre grounds; the roofs are a mere smudge […]

Exploring Italy’s Past

Piazza Duomo, Syracuse

Paul Beston, an experienced guide from Peter Sommer Travels, explains how an appreciation of the layers of Italy’s history adds an extra dimension to any Italian holiday Photos by iStock     There’s no such thing as an Italian tour. You can’t do justice to this magnificent country by reducing it to that homogenised prospect. […]

Past Italia: Santa Maria del Monte

Santa Maria del Monte, Italy

La Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte climbs to the church of St Mary of the Mount in Caltagirone, Sicily   The Church of Saint Mary of the Mount in Caltagirone dates back to the 12th-century; its staircase is early 17th-century; but the majolica tiles that have made the staircase famous today were only placed […]

Sicily regional property guide

Castiglione di Sicilia village

Fleur Kinson explores the best property prospects around Sicily, where excellent property prospects abound, along with terrific scenery, friendly towns and a temptingly laid-back pace of life Photos by iStock Summers in Sicily are hot and the weather stays pleasantly warm throughout the winter. This favourable climate attracts not only peak-season holiday-makers but also those […]

Homes in Sicily

Catania, Sicily, Italy, volcano Etna

Long summers, spectacular landscapes and super-friendly people are just three things to entice you to Sicily. A vast range of property options – including some of Italy’s most affordable homes – should be another, says Fleur Kinson Photos by iStock   Sitting like a big, bold triangle perched at the toe-tip of the Italian boot, […]

A taste of Catania

catania fish sicily

Sicily has countless charms to tempt visitors, and here Francesca Unsworth visits the island’s second largest city to discover why it is a food-lover’s paradise                         Catania and I didn’t get off to the greatest start. “Take a hike,” was the censored version of […]

Feudo Gaddimelli, Sicily

An early-1800s villa with sea view in which were filmed many scenes from the Italian TV series Montalbano and Il Capo dei Capi. The villa itself is spread on a single level and is 1,000 sqm in size, with a garden of 1,700 sqm and surrounding parkland of 25,000 sqm. The main access leads to […]

Viewpoint: Porticello Beach

Fishing boats on Porticello Beach - Lipari Island, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy

Porticello Beach lies on the northeastern end of the island of Lipari, one of the glorious Aeolian Islands just north of Sicily… This pebbly beach on Lipari is notable for its content of pumice. Pumice mining was a major part of the island’s economy until 2000, when, as part of the deal for the Aeolian […]