Published on Thursday, April 13, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Italian fashion house Gucci announced that it will donate  2 million euros to beautify and restore the famous Boboli Gardens in Florence. One of the most beautiful parks in Italy, the Boboli Gardens inspired other elegant European green spaces such as those at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. Laid out in a formal Renaissance style, the Boboli Gardens contain a l...

Published on Sunday, April 9, 2017 by Kathy McCabe After taking a year off from submitting UNESCO World Heritage bids, Italy has put forth two bids for the country’s central region for consideration next year. If approved, the sites would be added to Italy’s list of 51 total UNESCO World Heritage sites, the most of any country. The towns in question, Norcia and L’Aquila, were hard-hit by earthquakes in 2016 a...

Published on Thursday, April 6, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Leonardo da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi has been successfully restored and returned to the Uffizi Gallery. The painting spent six years in the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, a Florence research and conservation institute, whose conservation team left the painting cleaner and brighter. The artist received a commission for the piece from Augustinian monks who in...

Published on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 by Kathy McCabe A new video installation, running through July 23, at Palazzo Strozzi  in Florence celebrates the contemporary work of Bill Viola. The exhibit, Bill Viola. Electronic Renaissance, links the artist’s contemporary work with that of Renaissance painters. Viola, an American contemporary video artist, worked in Florence at video production center Art/Tapes/22 during ...

Published on Sunday, March 26, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Coffee, a cultural staple in Rome, has long been among Italy’s, and the world’s, cheapest cups of espresso. That may change, though, as coffee prices are set to increase at bars all over the city. Romans, entrenched in the national coffee culture like most Italians, will have to pay 10 to 20 cents more for their morning jolt. Currently, espressos commonly cost onl...

Published on Sunday, March 12, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Taormina, Sicily will host the G7 Summit in May, an annual meeting of seven of the world’s largest industrialized democracies, called the Group of Seven (G7). The group discusses issues such as global economics and trade, foreign policy, humanitarian issues, health, development and climate change. This year, the leaders of all seven countries including U.S. Pres...

Published on Monday, March 6, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Today, Michelangelo’s birthday, the Accademia in Florence will is launching its new membership card, called the Friends of David after the sculptor’s most famous piece. The card is aimed at Florentines or frequent visitors, including foreigners. For those under age 28, the card will cost 30€ per year, while other price tiers come at 50€ and 100€ per year. ...

Published on Friday, March 3, 2017 by Kathy McCabe The city of Pisa will soon have another tourist attraction – a 165-foot Ferris wheel – to compete in height with its famous 183-foot leaning tower. For three months this summer, the Ferris wheel will be temporarily installed in a former parking lot to test its popularity and appeal to tourists. "We can't keep getting by with the Leaning Tower alone," heritage o...

Published on Sunday, February 26, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Italy’s National Commission for UNESCO has applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for its famous sparkling wine, Prosecco  – specifically, for the hills of the Prosecco-producing towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. If the UNESCO headquarters in Paris approve the proposal in 2018, the northern Italian region would be among just nine other wine-producing regi...

Published on Thursday, February 16, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Siena is hosting an exhibit revealing the damage done by October earthquakes in Norcia and the surrounding areas, about 126 miles to the southeast, in its Duomo crypt and the Santa Maria della Scala Museum complex. The exhibit, called La Bellezza Ferita: Norcia EarthHeartArtQuake runs through October 29 and displays damaged and ruined artwork alongside footage of the...