What the Vespa was to private transport in Italy in the lean years following the Second World War, the Ape would be to commercial transport… When the Second World War ended, Italy was in ruins. Not only had she fought on the losing side but, in the process of losing, much of her infrastructure – […]
Beyond the palazzo… now, rising elegantly up the slope was a series of manicured terraces, and a grand stairway climbing with them Oltrarno means ‘beyond the Arno’, and refers to the part of Florence south of the river. Although you can find many famous sights there – the Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, and Piazzale Michelangelo […]
Photojournalist Marina Spironetti travelled to inland Sardinia and the remote region of Barbagia to document the most fascinating and ancient carnival traditions of the island… The glitzy atmosphere of the North Sardinia coast could not be further away. That coastline may be what the island is most famous for, but it’s not the real Sardinia […]
The marble sculptures on Rome’s altar of absolute peace attract visitors because of their beauty, but their origins lie in celebrating the victories of Emperor Augustus… The Ara Pacis Augustae, or altar to the absolute peace, was commissioned by the Roman Senate in 13BC, and in 9BC was dedicated to the peace established by Emperor […]
When it comes to works of religious art, the Medici chapel in Florence has plenty to offer. Take a closer look at the history behind the paintings with Marina Belozerskaya Classical stories and portraits graced the homes of rich and self-consciously enlightened Florentines, but by far the most common household images were the Madonna and […]
With crystal clear blue waters and a rugged granite coastline, the picturesque area of the Maddalena Archipelago has to be the perfect summer retreat… The Maddalena Archipelago consists of a group of seven large islands and several smaller islets that litter the stretch of the Strait of Bonifacio between northeast Sardinia and Corsica. The main […]
Penny Wainwright combines a trip to see an Adele concert with a tour of the Verona of Romeo and Juliet, and a day out in the vineyards of Valpolicella… Verona, La Città dell’Amore, the City of Love, is known – to English-speaking visitors at least – first and foremost, for Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s ill-fated […]
If you visit Ascoli Piceno in the heart of Le Marche you’ll find a wealth of incredible religious artworks by a Renaissance artist who fell in love with the region This detail of San Giorgio is part of the stunning polyptych found in the Holy Sacrament Chapel in the cathedral in Ascoli Piceno. The art is the […]
In Cirò Marina, Calabria, great swathes of countryside play host to rows of bright tomatoes, which are laid out in their hundreds beneath the hot southern Italian sun – all ready to undergo the sun-drying process Calabrian cuisine is well known across Italy for its distinctly flavourful, spicy character, which is much influenced by the […]
Mario Matassa visits Volterra, a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, where he discovers the alabaster caves and workshops for which the area is famous The chalky white alabaster from Volterra is considered the finest in Europe because of its characteristic compactness, transparency, veining, softness and smoothness. Although the etymology of the word remains disputed, the […]