Published on Sunday, April 14, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week: New Hotel Initiative in Italy: The Italian government leases abandoned castles to hoteliers for cash. (Skift.com) Slide Show: Fast Lane in Italy: Take a midnight Vespa ride through a Tuscan vill...

Published on Thursday, March 28, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Palio, held in Siena Tuscany each July 2 and August 16, is so much more than just a horse race. It is an age-old tradition that makes up the very fabric of this charming Tuscan city. Watch this video to learn more about how Siena is preparing for this summer's race: ...

Published on Saturday, February 23, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Tuscany is simply a dream any time of year. But can you imagine the rolling hills of Chianti covered in snow? This photo is from a beautiful snowfall in 2009. It doesn't snow very often in Tuscany but when it does, what a sight to behold. Photo by artistica2004, flickr.com...

Published on Thursday, December 20, 2012 by Steve I'm thrilled to announce that Perillo Tours has partnered with Jennifer Iannolo, founder of Zenfully Delicious, to offer two gluten-free tours of Tuscany in 2013! This is the perfect opportunity gluten-free folks to travel worry-free and savor the tastes of Italy. The tours will run May 11-17 and October 12-18, 2013. Here's the awesome itinerary: Day 1 Depart...

Published on Friday, December 7, 2012 by Kathy McCabe If Florence or Tuscany is on your must-visit list this Christmas season, there are some great Florence events for the holiday season, according to The Florentine.  Here are a few of the holiday celebrations in and around Florence that caught our eye: The German Market in Florence's Piazza Croce runs through December 16th. Enjoy Christmas delicacies from t...

Published on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 by Kathy McCabe Happy Halloween! Would you get spooked being served a meal in a prison...with prisoners as your waiters? Well there's just such a place -- in Tuscany no less -- and it has been voted one of the world's scariest restaurants. The restaurant is located in Fortezza Medicea, a medieval fortress in the town of Volterra. There are some pre-requisites if you want to dine ther...

Published on Sunday, August 26, 2012 by Steve I don’t know about you but I go to Italy to eat and drink…Sure I love traipsing through the ancient ruins, learning the history behind the world-class art.But if I could only do only two things in Italy:  they would be Mangia (Eat) e Bevi (Drink) I think many of our guests feel the same way. So I proudly introduce… ...Perillo’s NEW 10-Day Mangia e Bevi Tou...

Published on Friday, August 17, 2012 by Kathy McCabe If you're visiting Siena in August, September or October 2012, don't miss the rare chance to see the famous floor mosaics,  at Siena's cathedral or Duomo. Giorgio Vasari called the floor of Siena’s Duomo “the most beautiful, big and magnificent that has ever been done.” The mosaics, dating from the 14th to 16th centuries, are normally covered by carpet to pro...

Published on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 by Kathy McCabe Disaster tourism isn't anything new so it probably shouldn't come as much surprise, though it is a bit maudlin, that the site of the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster off Tuscany has now beome a popular tourist attraction. The ship itself is still lying paralyzed off the coast of the island of Giglio where it ran aground in January, costing 32 people their lives...

Published on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 by Kathy McCabe Yes, you read right: an entire village in the hills of Tuscany is for sale on eBay at a price of a bit more than $3 million dollars (2.5 million euros).  If you're looking for more than just an Italian vacation but rather to live in Italy the lord of your own domain, this might be for you...The village  of Pratariccia, about 25 miles from Florence overlooking ...