Published on Monday, January 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Gucci recently opened Gucci Garden, an experiential retail space in Florence dedicated to promoting the brand and its history. The concept is located in a 14th-century palazzo and comprises three floors. On the ground floor is a boutique with items exclusive to Gucci Garden – including clothes and their tags and packaging – alongside books, magazines, souvenirs...

Published on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 by Kathy McCabe At the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, a newly restored bathroom used by Cosimo I de’ Medici – called the Comodo di Cosimo – is now open to the public. More like a spa than a bathroom, the Renaissance-era Comodo di Cosimo features a large stone bathtub, a hydraulic system used to heat the water, and a niche with a vent that may have contained bottles of essence...

Published on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 by Kathy McCabe After 71 years of retaining unofficial status, the Italian senate has legally adopted the Italian national anthem as the national song. Officially called Il Canto degli Italiani, the song is colloquially known as L’Inno di Mameli (Mameli’s Hymn) after its writer, or Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) after its opening line. Italy’s government provision...

Published on Thursday, December 28, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Spending New Year's Eve (Capodanno)  in Italy can be as much a cultural experience as a celebration. Italians have very particular ways that they say goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new one: Natale con I tuoi, Capodanno con chi vuoi. This  Italian expression sums up the holiday -- "Christmas with the family, New Year's with whom you want." Since many...

Published on Monday, December 11, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Rome’s popular 13th emperor is getting a new exhibit detailing his life and legacy, in time for the 1900th anniversary of his death. Trajan, who ruled the Roman Empire from 98 to 117 A.D., was referred to as the optimus princeps (the best ruler) by the senate at the time. He is most known for his military victories in the expansion of the Roman Empire to its largest...

Published on Thursday, December 7, 2017 by Kathy McCabe After 22 years, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Codex Leicester manuscript is  going on display in Italy. Considered one of Da Vinci’s most important scientific manuscripts, the 72-page notebook published in 1510 contains a collection of writings and drawings from the artist and scientist. His notes, written in columns from right to left, detail his theories on a range of s...

Published on Sunday, December 3, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore has named Belluno at the top of its annual livability ranking of 110 Italian provinces. The province, located in the region of Veneto just north of Venice, was lauded for its overall quality of life and for its tourism industry and growing manufacturing and industrial sectors. Il Sole 24 Ore used 42 criteria, split into six catego...

Published on Saturday, November 25, 2017 by Kathy McCabe After years of protests by locals against cruise ships in Venice, the city has decided that in four years, cruise ships weighing 96,000 tons will no longer be able to drop anchor in St. Mark’s Basin in Venice. They will instead have to keep at a distance from the city, landing on the mainland in Marghera, where the Venice airport is also located. A committee of loca...

Published on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Give The Gift of A Perillo Tour to Yourself or Loved Ones...And Save! On Black Friday, save $250 person* on ANY of our 2018 ITALY or HAWAII escorted tours. Cannot be combined with any other offer, except pay by check. If you're even thinking of going on a Perillo Tour in 2018, Black Friday is the day to book... Again, save $250 per person* on all 2018 Italy...

Published on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 by Kathy McCabe The next time you toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, you could be unwittingly making a donation to the Roman government. Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi has announced that the coins, which can add up to more than 100 million euros!! per year, will now be used to fund city projects, which will be decided upon by a city hall working group. Since 2006, the money has ...