The Ponte Vecchio was the setting for these locks of love, symbolising an eternal bond. But young couples didn’t reckon with the might of bolt cutters. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence; an emblem of the great city since 1345. But for a brief period in its illustrious reign it also became the site of a […]
Heralded as one of the most romantic countries in the world, Italy has no end of romantic spots to pick from. So move over Venice, Italia! short lists some strong contenders… 1.Florence It sometimes seems as though Florence’s magnificent architecture and piazze were designed to please enamoured couples. Not only does the city house hundreds […]
Luckily, though, unlike some regional neighbours, Lucca has managed to avoid turning into an over-commercialised tourist trap. Lucca has been a thriving community since Roman times and before. It was, in fact, such an important centre for the Romans that in 56BC Caesar, Pompey and Crassius met here for their historic pow-wow, which culminated in […]
We present to you the first in a series of eight of the most memorable starring roles, we begin with Roman Holiday starring style icon Audrey Hepburn… Roman Holiday (1953, Rome, directed by William Wyler. Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck) Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star in this timeless 50s classic, a worthy tribute to the Eternal […]
Valle d’Aosta is now part of Italy, but it hasn’t always been. Chris Allsop travels to Italy’s smallest region and discovers a valley beloved of kings, popes, and – of course – skiers… There’s something of the hidden kingdom about the Valle D’Aosta, like an Italian Bhutan (but with a lot more ski lifts). Entering […]
Renaissance towers, arcaded porticos and a cuisine to die for – Bologna is the perfect alternative to the north’s more famous destinations. Marina Spironetti reports… Bologna, a hedonistic city for connoisseurs, can be underestimated by the average tourist, who often sees it only from the train window on the journey from Venice or the lakes […]
Young, fruity wines, healthy lake fish, mineral mountain waters and a boom in wellness hotels. Charlotte Lyon finds everything you need to relax and rejuvenate at the serene town of Bardolino on Lake Garda… Looking into the bathroom mirror as I step off the three-hour flight from Gatwick to Verona, I do a double-take. Is that really me? The pallid skin, […]
Though it can be reached by train from Venice in 25 minutes, Padua is often overlooked by visitors to the northeast of Italy. Sara Scarpa seeks to redress the balance… When you arrive in Padua from Venice, the one thing that jumps out at you is the energetic buzz of the city. With nearly 60,000 […]
Lorenza Bacino visits the Esini Hills, a diverse and undiscovered part of Le Marche which is home to the world renowned Frasassi Caves… Visiting the Frasassi Caves in the heart of the Gola della Rossa National Park has long been on my ‘to do’ list. Wild, rugged, untamed and unpredictable, the 10,000 hectares of park […]
There isn’t much of Italy you could describe as ‘undiscovered’, but Rebecca Ford finds something close – and just an hour from Rome. The Sabine Hills… We had been walking for a couple of hours when we came to the little meadow. It was early summer and the poppies were in bloom. Some farmers were […]