Published on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 by Kathy McCabe No matter how much you hear about the Leaning Tower, Tuscany’s lovely city of Pisa offers much more to do and see than that structurally challenged monument (but since you will want to see it, here’s a link to tell you more about its history than you might otherwise discover). Here are a few things we recommend: 1. Enjoy the water.  Pisa nestles at the mouth ...

Published on Saturday, November 22, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Imagine waking up to the sound of a bell that’s been gently tolling for hundreds of years—or savoring a meal made with herbs from a garden tended by a religious order. The hundreds of convents and monasteries that dot Italy top to toe aren’t just reminders of the country’s long history of faith. Today, visitors can choose different ways to experience these ins...

Published on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 by Steve What’s the most expensive thing you can buy in Italy? Sure, a Maserati or Ferrari is a good guess. But by weight it might be the white truffles of Alba which can go for as much as $10,000 per pound! These tantalizing tubers grow near the roots of oak trees and have a special concentration near the town of Alba, in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. They are i...

Published on Saturday, November 15, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Excellent design features in every aspect of Italian life, from furniture to automobiles to eyeglass frames to grocery packaging. Of course bookstores in our favorite country are well designed—and often also extremely beautiful. This list is of the most visually arresting stores. They aren’t necessarily the ones in which you’ll find titles in English (but isn’...

Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Twenty years ago, the frescoes of the Vatican’s renowned Sistine Chapel received a major 16-year restoration, making Michelangelo’s masterful paintings vivid once more. After all, the Sistine Chapel is visited by 20,000 people each and every day; some wear and tear is to be expected. Both visitors and artwork will benefit from the latest upgrades installed by t...

Published on Sunday, November 9, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The Shroud of Turin will go on display for the first time in five years in the spring of 2015, in coordination with a visit by Pope Francis. The sacred cloth, said to have wrapped Jesus Christ in his tomb, is stored in the Turin Cathedral in a climate-controlled case and will be on display at the cathedral from April 19 to June 24, 2015, with Pope Francis’ visit sch...

Published on Monday, November 3, 2014 by Kathy McCabe New photos of one of Benito Mussolini’s secret underground war bunkers have surfaced as Rome celebrates the 40th anniversary of the end of fascism and as the bunker opens for visitors. One of 12 bunkers eventually built in Rome for Mussolini, this shelter was built in 1940 because Mussolini feared Allied forces would attempt to assassinate him. He was right—th...

Published on Friday, October 24, 2014 by Kathy McCabe These beautiful mountains are one of the gems of Northern Italy. Here are five facts you might not have not about this corner of Italy: 1. The Dolomites were designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. The mountain range in northern Italy received this designation for its sublime beauty and historical significance, as the area contains Mesozoic fossils and...

Published on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 by Steve It is no secret that my favorite city in the world is bella Roma - the Eternal City! You would think, given how often I visit that I would get a little tired of it but quite the contrary, I find there's always something new to see and do...and well, FUN to be had! FUN was the name of the game for my latest trip, especially since I was there for my birthday! We mixe...

Published on Friday, October 10, 2014 by Kathy McCabe You’re a seasoned Italophile--but you’ve never been to Milan. You think the northern metropolis offers little besides gray stone, industrial parks and rainy days. Wrong! This keystone city may not have the immediate charms of Rome or Florence, but its quieter attractions mean that you can take your time and soak up the rhythms of everyday Italian life. Plus you wi...