An Extra Palio - Palio Straordinario - will be run in Siena on 20 October 2018.

Bomarzo's Parco dei Mostri is a park filled with fantastical sculptures of animals, monsters, and other beasts. It's an ideal day trip from Rome.

The Colosseum is a fascinating structure no matter where you view it. But my favorite perch from which to view the Colosseum has to be on this footbridge that spans the busy streets of the Monti neighborhood. The footbridge is hardly a secret -- you'll find handfuls of tourists here at all ...

It's been a few days since the world learned that Anthony Bourdain passed away. The news hit me hard and I wrote a post on my other blog. I also posted his "No Reservations" Rome episode on this site's Facebook page. Beyond that, I didn't feel like adding to the avalanche of remembrances. Until ...

People often ask me what it's like living in Rome. And it's hard to give an answer that pleases everyone. There is the breathtaking beauty (the Colosseum, Saint Peter's, a narrow alley in Centro, the fashionable people), as well as daily reminders of Rome's unique character (nasoni fountains, ...

I've always meant to visit the Museo di Roma. But in a city like Rome, where so many more sites and monuments are vying for attention, it was easy to put off a visit until "next time." Interior of Palazzo Braschi, Rome I was drawn to the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi for the view. The ...

Walking daily among or near ruins, such as the Teatro Marcello, is one of the reasons why people fall in love with Rome. The Theater of Marcellus or Teatro Marcello, was inaugurated in 12 BCE by Emperor Augustus and named for his nephew Marcus Marcellus. It served as an arena for drama ...

Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera is a first class gallery on par with Italy's finest museums. The collection of Italian, mostly religious, art is spread out in 38 rooms and includes masterpieces by Andrea Mantegna, Piero Della Francesca, Raphael, and Caravaggio. Getting "lost" in front of ...

The house museums and palace galleries of Rome are among the city's best-kept secrets.

A view of pastel Procida from the mountain ridge above town.

I'm not much of a winter person. That's one reason I like Rome so much. It rarely snows here. The last time was in 2012 - six years ago. Despite that, I have always wanted to see Rome with a dusting of snow. This morning, I got my wish and then some. The snow started falling in the middle of ...

Snapshot of a Saturday morning shopping at the Mercato Nomentano, one of the few remaining traditional, covered markets in Rome.

You can now explore the fourth and fifth floors of the Colosseum.

Rooftop views from Rome’s Rinascente

The video from Ritals does a humorous job of explaining what makes Rome great even in the face of Paris's beauty and comparative orderliness.

The Domus Aurea, also known as Nero's Golden Palace, is the latest attraction to offer visitors the chance to wear virtual reality headsets while touring the site. Visitors who tour the Domus Aurea will be able to see the site as never before. Virtual reality "fills in" the gaps, ...

The bicerin is an important part of the coffee culture in Torino (Turin). Learn more about the bicerin.

Before I tell you about the best places to kiss in Rome, you’ve got to really want to kiss and be kissed. This is not the place for pecks on the cheek. This is where you go for the gusto. “Gusto” by the way is Italian for pleasure and taste. You have to want to taste your lover’s lips if ...