Spending a weekend in Elba’s capital Portoferraio is the best introduction to the island, says Jane Gifford Mythology has it that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and love, was visiting one of her many lovers on the Italian mainland when she accidentally broke her string of pearls, and in doing so formed the Tuscan […]
Adrian Mourby takes us on another of his guided walks around Venice with a visit to San Polo, the cradle of the city San Polo can claim to be where the modern archipelago of Venice began in the 9th century. While the administration of this great trading empire developed in the lower-lying sestiere of […]
Winter is a great time to visit Florence, and you will see the city in a new light – though if it does happen to snow while you’re there, you’ve been very lucky! You might not find an excuse to stop for a gelato quite as often, but you will avoid the worst of the […]
Val Nicastro visits the “Garden City” north of Milan that is, among other things, home to a palace that one Italian poet described as “Little Versailles” All images © Val Nicastro With an enchanting old town, unmatched natural beauty and plenty to explore, Varese and its surroundings are one of Lombardy’s best-kept secrets. Only one […]
Amy McPherson takes a tour around the baroque city of Lecce in Puglia and discovers that there is a lot more to the ‘Florence of the South’ than meets the eye It seems that I am eating all the time in Lecce, which I find makes it appropriate to use this simile: Lecce is like […]
We go behind the scenes of an Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa as he explores the rich and austere festive food and traditions of Italy… To describe a celebration of food as both ‘rich and austere’ might seem something of a contradiction. Yet I can think of no more apt a description of this, the […]
The birthplace of the Catholic friar St Francis remains a globally important site of Christian pilgrimage Assisi stands atop Mount Asio and is flanked by swathes of Umbria’s undulating green pasture and the forests of Monte Subasio. At times it seems perched heaven-like, on a carpet of clouds. It is Roman in origin, yet a […]
Discover Lake Como and you’ll see why Michelle Jackson, The Novel Traveller, felt like a celebrity when exploring one of the most popular destinations in Italy with Travel Department. 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 […]
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. Travel with confidence: Your holiday is a very special time, and Travel Department craft the itineraries to make sure that you get the most enjoyment. The world is continuously changing, and […]
Discover the historical centre of San Gimignano and how its downfall became its architectural saviour. Midway between Siena and Florence stand the towers of San Gimignano, no modern city skyline but a sight largely unchanged since the medieval era. Taking advantage of their hilltop elevation, the wealthiest San Gimignano families fortified their palaces with a […]