Published on Thursday, August 20, 2015 by Kathy McCabe At 136 acres, the grounds of the Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s private residence in Lazio, are larger than the entire Vatican City (108 acres). The land includes gardens, woodland, a working farm, beehives, a dairy, and even hay fields—but you don’t need to take our word for it. As of this this year, the public can tour these previously closed areas that are just ...

Published on Monday, August 10, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Fifty years after its release, Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita will be remade by Andrea Iervolino’s AMBI Group. The Fellini family has approved this new film, which will be “a contemporary story every bit as commercial, iconic and award-worthy as the original,” said Iervolino. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimée, the 19...

Published on Friday, July 31, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a regular post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web. Here are our top picks for this week: The Magic of Volterra:  Rick Steves says Tuscany's Volterra is Italy's most underrated hill town. (The Seattle Times) Honeymoon Through Italy:  One couple danced at midnight in Venice, motore...

Published on Sunday, July 26, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Dubbed “The Eighth Wonder of the World” due to its previously impossible views of the Alps, the Skyway Monte Bianco transports visitors above 7,000 feet. That’s not all: the rounded gondola cars also rotate 360 degrees, allowing people to see the breathtaking slopes on the Italian side of one of the world’s most famous peaks, called Mont Blanc across the borde...

Published on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Olives and olive oil symbolize Italy and its culinary delights for many people, but for Italians the products of olive trees influence their economy as much as their diets. Each year the country exports about one trillion pounds of olive oil, second only to Spain. The giant, twisted trees of Puglia usually account for nearly 40% of Italy’s overall olive-oil produ...

Published on Friday, July 10, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Italian divers recently reached a sunken cargo ship full of roofing tiles off the coast of Sardinia.  The ship and its cargo are 2,000 years old, a Roman find of “great archaeological value,” says the police statement issued to announce the discovery. Not only can the find provide information about ships and their construction, it sheds light on marine logistics,...

Published on Thursday, July 2, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Looking to bring some Italian inspiration to your summer dining or July 4th BBQ or picnic? Do as the Tuscans do and make panzanella salad. Like all Italian cuisine it is fresh, simple and oh so delicious! Panzanella comes from the tradition of cucina povera - the simple dishes of the poor peasants. They wanted a way to utilize day-old bread and panzanella was born! ...

Published on Monday, June 29, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Back in 81 AD, the Roman Emperor would have entered the Circus Maximus in grand style, standing in a chariot steered through the newly constructed Arch of Titus. But until recently, the only records of that structure existed in medieval-era documents; stone that wasn’t pilfered sank beneath the ground and was lost for eight centuries. However, this spring archaeo...

Published on Thursday, June 25, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Fellini. Rossellini. Zeffirelli. Those celebrated names of Italian cinema whose careers flourished at Cinecitta Studios during the post-war 1950s and 1960s may soon find themselves joined by a newer crop. Although the 22-stage facility’s luster dimmed in the 1980s, a 2014 Italian tax rebate of 25% on movie production has lured some big movies and big stars back to C...

Published on Saturday, June 20, 2015 by Kathy McCabe I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. In this video, I'm giving you advice on how to use cell phones in Italy. Everyone wants to keep in touch when they're in Italy, mostly to tell all the folks at home what a great time the...