Published on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Italy is home to thousands of museums (this list of museums features the most famous ones) and those numbers are in the increase with the opening of the new Gucci Museum in Florence and a new museum opening in Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (also known as Fiumicino). The  new Gucci Museum in the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia, in Florence's Piazza Signor...

Published on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Many visitors to Rome take the opportunity to mail postcards and letters back home from another country, no, not Italy -- Vatican City! The Vatican has had its own post office and stamps since 1929. More items are mailed from the Vatican City postal code (00120) per inhabitant than from any other postal code in the world. The Universal Postal Union has called th...

Published on Monday, September 12, 2011 by Kathy McCabe I'll admit it. This humble Italy travel writer -- who gets to visit the land of la dolce vita and drink all kinds of fabulous wines -- sometimes likes to drink something of a lesser vintage and quality -- Diet Coke. I know, how could I? Well, on a recent trip to Italy, I discovered an alternative, of sorts, to Diet Coke, a good ole' Italian soda called "Chino." It has...

Published on Monday, September 5, 2011 by Kathy McCabe I'll be heading back to the central Italian region of Umbria in a few weeks and can't wait for my trip. Let me tell you about one of my favorite restaurants in Umbria...Dinner at Ristorante Redibis in the town of Bevagna is practically guaranteed to be one of the highlights of a visit to the region. The unique setting makes a lasting first impression. The dining area ...

Published on Monday, August 29, 2011 by Kathy McCabe No matter which town you visit  in Italy, you're likely to encounter a a piazza, building or road named in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Via Garibaldi is one of the most popular street names in the country. Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) won the majority of the military victories of the Risorgimento (translated as resurgence), a 50-year struggle to free Italian state...

Published on Thursday, August 18, 2011 by Kathy McCabe I first ate at Cammillo Trattoria more than 15 years ago during my first visit to Florence; I have since returned again and again, mostly to taste their excellent pappa al pomodoro (bread and tomato soup) or tortellini and enjoy the homey, if bustling atmosphere. This trattoria, a few blocks from the Ponte Vecchio, on the Oltrano side of the river, has been around for...

Published on Thursday, August 11, 2011 by Kathy McCabe If you're planning a visit to the Campania region of Italy and want to take a journey far back in time, head to Santa Maria Capua Vetere, once the site of the ancient city of Capua, once the richest city in southern Italy. (Modern Capua was founded nearby in 857 by inhabitants forced out by the Saracens.) This is where Spartacus, a Thracian slave, launched a two-year ...

Published on Sunday, July 31, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Once the seat of the government of the Venetian Republic, the palace of justice, and the residence of the Doge (the head of republic), the Palazzo Ducale or Doge's Palace is an incredible piece of history in Venice. The building is decorated with works by numerous Italian masters, including one wall entirely taken up by Jacopo Tintoretto's Paradiso. From the main bu...

Published on Saturday, July 30, 2011 by Kathy McCabe One of my favorite hotels in Rome is the  Rose Garden Palace Hotel.  Just off the famous Via Veneto, and a stone’s throw from the American Embassy, it enjoys one of the best locations in the city. The hotel is partly owned by Steve Perillo, the third generation owner of Perillo Tours, the world’s largest tour operator to Italy. Perillo and his Italian partn...

Published on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Who wouldn't like to save a few dollars -- or euros -- while visiting Italian cities? Special city cards for tourists, which usually include discounts on public transportation and museum admissions, can be worth using when you are visiting Italy. For example, the Roma Pass which is valid for three days at the cost of 25€ gives you free admission to your first two...