Visiting the Vatican and Rome During Easter

Springtime is a very popular time to visit Rome and the Vatican City. And for good reason. The weather is warmer. The gardens and parks are in bloom, with huge pots of azaleas providing a burst of color on the Spanish Steps. And for the thousands of churches, it is time to celebrate Easter.

Of course, the most popular place to visit during Easter is St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro). The Pope presides over several services at the basilica during Holy Week, including morning and evening masses on Holy Thursday, an afternoon vigil on…

Round-up: Lots on Venice, Shopping in Rome, and Italy Road Trips

Vrooms With a View: Europe’s Most Scenic Drives (includes Val d’Aosta, Piemonte) [The Guardian]
Eat Like a Local in Venice, The Venetian Islands Locals Want to Keep to Themselves, Venice Bacari [The Guardian]
Global Eye: Venice Carnival [National Geographic Intelligent Travel Blog]
Italy’s Sleepy Surprise (Maratea, Basilicata) [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Where Puccini Might Shop in Rome [New York Times]
For a Real Italian Getaway, Follow the Herd (Abruzzo) [The Guardian]
What’s New in Rome and Venice for 2010…

Four Great Golf Courses in Italy

Golfing has grown increasingly popular over the past decade, thanks in no small part to one Tiger Woods, who has proven to be a diligent, exacting, and exciting player both on and off the green. Woods’ celebrity has meant a ton of new golf watchers and enthusiasts, who jump at the chance to work on their handicap, especially while on vacation.

Italy may not be the first place one thinks of for a golfing vacation, but it does have some terrific courses set in stunning locations, many of which are near the tourist routes of Rome, Florence, and Milan.…

Painting Italy: An Artist Profile

The beauty of Italy has inspired countless artists through the years, including ones who live here in the United States. Today, I am profiling artist William Renzulli, who was moved to paint his ancestral home Castelnuovo della Daunia in Puglia after a family reunion visit in 2008 and who will soon be headed to Bologna to paint that city’s gorgeous medieval lines and curves as well as the landscapes of Emilia-Romagna.

Italy Insiders Share Their Favorite Spots for Romance

I like to do a romance-themed post every year around Valentine’s Day for obvious reasons. So given the popularity of crowd-sourcing (and the positive response I received from friends for last month’s crowd-sourced article on Rome When It Rains), I decided to give the power of the people on LinkedIn, Twitter, and elsewhere another try. Here was my query:

If you live in Italy, where is the most romantic spot in your area?

Not surprisingly, people had strong opinions about this topic. One commenter even said, “Melanie, we cannot tell you this otherwise in no time it will…

Six Places to Celebrate Carnival in Italy

It’s Carnival time again in Italy, when Italians prepare to say “goodbye meat!” (Carnevale) by throwing lavish parties and parades before hunkering down for 40 days and nights of denial during the Holy Lenten Season.

Many travelers think that Carnevale only takes place in Venice. While Venice has the best known Carnival in Italy, there are many other cities with long carnival traditions. Let’s have a look at them:

Volunteer Vacations in Italy

The final post in my New Year’s Resolutions series, which includes Health and Fitness and Learning Vacations in Italy, focuses on doing good while on vacation. Of course, Italy may not be the first place you think of when you consider volunteering your time – indeed, Haiti comes to mind – but there are a number of ways that you can make a difference on an Italy vacation.

Causes you can volunteer for include teaching English, land preservation, farming help…

Round-up: Italy in Winter, Hidden Salami, Timelapse Tuscany, and more

This installment of Italy travel articles includes two videos that I thought were worth sharing. Enjoy the round-up!

Rome When It Rains

A writer of a recent comment on the Italofile Facebook page mentioned that his chief concern for an upcoming spring trip to Rome was “what do I do if it rains?” Here’s his exact words:

Am going to Rome in late March/early April with three young kids. I lived there for a year when I was younger, so I know all it has to offer, but I have one fear. What do we do if it rains???

Rome is a city best seen outdoors, what with sights like the Forum and the Colosseum and activities like window-shopping and…

Five Favorites: Italian Words

Since I started “Five Favorites,” a feature to showcase the expertise and interests of guest Italophile bloggers, we’ve seen posts about Lucca, Beaches in Calabria, and Recipes from Rome. This week’s installment, about the Italian language, is from Jessica Spiegel of BootsnAll’s WhyGo Italy guide. And, it’s so appropriate that Jess would write about language as she is so skilled at making words dance upon the page (or screen). Jessica’s list of Five Favorite Italian Words also got me thinking: what are your favorite Italian words? Feel free to comment after the…