Chris Allsop last visited Tuscany as a young boy. Thirty years later he decided to go back… The last time I was in Tuscany, I mostly chased pigeons. I was six, on a family holiday, and the astounding art heritage of Florence was no match for the challenge of putting the wind up every pigeon […]
If this image looks familiar it is because we visited Padua’s ’meadow without grass’ in June. Unfortunately, we barely had time to stop then, so this month we return, under cover of darkness, to see it at its most splendid… We visited Il Prato della Valle when we spent 48 Hours in Padua earlier this […]
Hear one coming and you know why it’s called a Vespa – or ‘wasp’ as it translates into English. Italia! looks into the birth of a true Italian icon, the Vespa scooter… The years after World War II were harsh in Italy. Suffering from economic ruin, mass unemployment and the decimation of its military, the […]
Many travellers see no more than the city’s airport, but Treviso – ‘The Painted City’ – has a lot to offer. Sara Scarpa avoids the tourist trail to visit one of the lesser lights of Veneto… Photos by iStock Treviso is a name familiar to the millions of travellers who arrive and depart the bel […]
Built in Turin, Desio (Monza and Brianza) and Termini Imerese (Palermo), between 1957 and 1975, the Fiat 500 is recognised the world over as a symbol of Italian identity… Measuring just under 3 metres long and originally powered by a tiny 479cc, two-cylinder, air-cooled engine delivering just 13bhp, the Fiat 500 – across its […]
With a history steeped deep in the philosophy of La Cucina Povera, the Val d’Orcia offers taste and tradition. Wanda Djebbar guides us on a gastro tour through the past and present… Gourmet Guide to the Val d’Orcia Those among you who are looking for rich, difficult, complicated food to combine with sublime landscapes, art […]
“He who controls the high ground controls the battle,” goes the old military adage – and it doesn’t get much higher than La Rocca Calascio. Standing at 1,460 metres above sea level – that’s 300 metres higher than Ben Nevis – this medieval fortress provides a vantage point over huge swathes of land… Standing in […]
With a tangible history dating back to Etruscan times, Perugia, the capital city of Umbria, had more than enough to keep Lorenza Bacino busy for a long weekend… Sitting on the marble steps of the centrally located San Lorenzo Cathedral, soaking up the sun and the atmosphere while enjoying a traditional piadina with prosciutto, was […]
A symbol of the very founding of Rome, the Capitoline Wolf – a bronze sculpture – has been housed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori since 1471. The story goes like this… It was as long ago as the mid-700s BC. Numitor, the grandfather of the twins Romulus and Remus, was usurped by his brother Amulius, […]
Italy’s capital is so full of treasures, you could spend years here and not manage to see them all. So what hope is there for the short-term visitor? Don’t panic – Fleur Kinson is here to distil the great city into its most unmissable sights… Photos by iStock For 500 years, Rome was the mighty centre of […]