Published on Thursday, September 20, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Following favorable weather patterns this summer, Italian winemakers are experiencing a productive Prosecco harvest this year. A warm, dry summer followed by cooler weather and rain has created almost ideal growing conditions for Glera grapes, which are used to make Prosecco DOC. Stefano Zanette, president of the DOC council, said, “the [recent] rain and the lowe...

Published on Friday, September 7, 2018 by Kathy McCabe VinNatur, an Italian natural wine organization, has created a list of qualifications and characteristics for natural wine, a label that is often misused, undefined or confused with organic wines. Unlike other natural wine organizations, VinNatur enlists an independent certification group that is recognized by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture to ensure members follo...

Published on Monday, September 3, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Everyone knows Italian grandmothers make the best handmade pasta, and if you’re lucky, your nonna passed down her recipes and techniques. For the rest of us, there’s Pasta Grannies, a YouTube channel that films Italian nonne making pasta by hand, the old-fashioned way. Food writer Vicky Bennison, who is based in Le Marche and London, launched Pasta Grannies fou...

Published on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe To combat Islamophobia and celebrate ancient Middle Eastern culture, two Florence museums have teamed up to stage an exhibit on Islamic art and the reciprocal relationship between Florence and Islam. The exhibit, titled “Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th Century,” runs through Sept. 23 at the Uffizi Gallery and the Bargello Museum, showcasing 25...

Published on Monday, August 13, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Italian Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli announced in a press conference that Italy will end the Domenica al Museo (“Sunday at the Museum”) program, no longer offering free admission to state museums as of this fall. Currently, approximately 480 state museums are free to everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The change will affect popular sites such as P...

Published on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 by Kathy McCabe As of August 1, small recreational watercrafts such as kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and pedal boats are no longer allowed on the main waterways of Venice. The ban does not apply to Venetian residents who own these boats, gondolas or tour companies that are regulated by local authorities. Previously, small recreational boats could not travel on the main waterways fr...

Published on Sunday, July 1, 2018 by Steve 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. This week I'm talking about enjoying Italy's beaches. It is July and beaches are filling up but come August,  Italy's beaches  will be covered with Italians soaking up the sun and...

Published on Friday, June 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The upcoming season of opera at Teatro Alla Scala  in Milan will include Gianni Schicci, a comedic opera by Puccini, staged and directed by Woody Allen. Set in the 1930s in New York’s Little Italy, Allen’s version of Gianni Schicci was successful in a 2015 Los Angeles run. The opera is based on a portion of Dante’s Divine Comedy in which Schicci is sent to He...

Published on Sunday, June 10, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Earlier this month, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence debuted its “Raphael and Michelangelo Room” as part of a larger rearrangement of the museum. Housed in Room 41 of the building, the Raphael and Michelangelo Room – as one might expect – contains paintings from the two Renaissance masters. Two paintings by Raphael dating to 1404-05 – portraits of a Floren...

Published on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Every holiday in Italy is celebrated with food. Easter is no exception. One of the most delicious Easter foods is Pizza Rustica- pie filled with all kinds of goodness, perfect to break the Lenten fast. Diana from Perillo Tours shares her family recipe: Dough: Purchase ready-made pizza dough at the supermarket or use your favorite dough recipe. Ingredients for F...