News
Here you will find the latest headlines about Italy, particularly news related to travel and tourism in the country. I would love to have the discipline to update this daily. Instead, I only get around to highlighting this story or that one. To supplement the Italy news you learn from these posts, check out my go-to sources Corriere della Sera (in Italian) and, in English, The Local Italy.
Walking Via Giulia
Rome’s famous Renaissance street, Via Giulia, is celebrating its 500th anniversary this year. And, the New York Times‘ Elisabeth Rosenthal provides the history and descriptions of the streets’ sites in her article A Stroll in Rome With a Papal Pedigree. Usually an unharried street, Via Giulia is set to be quite busy this year with…
Spain Conquers Italy
Large parts of Italy were once united under the Spanish flag, with conquests in Naples and Sicily by the houses of Aragon and Bourbon, among others. Even Milan and Parma were under Spanish rule at one point. I confess that I am not an expert on Spain’s influence on Italy, so you may want to…
Renaissance Florence According to Rushdie
Salman Rushdie imagines Renaissance Florence in his new book “The Enchantress of Florence.”
Vasto: An Unspoiled Beach in Abruzzo
Earlier today, we wrote about the travel potential of the region Puglia, this year’s emerging star of Italian tourism. Well, if Puglia is the new Tuscany then some years from now Abruzzo will be the new Puglia. Richard Norton-Taylor writes about Vasto, a largely “unknown” beach on the Costa Abruzzese for the The Guardian. There…
Italy’s Newest Saint Venerated
On April 24, the new tomb of Padre Pio was unveiled in the Puglian city of San Giovanni Rotondo. The new tomb now features the exhumed body of Italy’s most recent homegrown saint, who died in 1968 and who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. According to Ian Fisher’s San Giovanni Rotondo…
Shopping For Italy’s Best Artisanal Traditions
We recently profiled the Civilized Shopper’s Guides to Rome and Florence, two handy shopping guides for two of Italy’s most popular cities. Landing on bookshelves this week is the second edition of Made in Italy: A Shopper’s Guide to Italy’s Best Artisanal Traditions from Murano Glass to Ceramics, Jewelry, Leather Goods, and More. Written by…
The Lost Leonardo
News program 60 Minutes investigates the discovery of “The Lost Leonardo,” a long-missing mural by Leonardo da Vinci.
Tuscan Wine Picks From Epicurious
One of the pleasures of visiting Tuscany is having the chance to drive the fertile hills of wine country, sampling reds and whites along the way. Most travelers really only think of Chianti, a mini-region within Tuscany, when thinking about Tuscan wine. But another vino hotspot is Montalcino. Montalcino is the home of Brunello di…
