Published on Thursday, October 20, 2016 by Kathy McCabe What are you doing in January? As Mario Perillo always said "off-season is the best season" for Italy and boy do I have a unique opportunity for our guests! Hurry, and be one of the few fans to tour Rome and Tuscany with baseball greats Didi Gregorious, Jim Leyritz and Wade Boggs on Perillo's once-in-a-lifetime 9-Day Baseball Greats Rome and Tuscany Tour! Get ...

Published on Friday, October 14, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Courtesy of an Italian winery, a new outdoor fountain in Abruzzo now dispenses locally made red wine 24/7, for free, granting wishes of wine drinkers everywhere. The fountain opened on October 9th in the town of Caldari di Ortona in Abruzzo, and though the wine is always flowing and always free, those imbibing must bring their own containers! The fountain was pla...

Published on Monday, October 3, 2016 by Kathy McCabe A message from Steve Perillo: My father Mario Perillo revolutionized our business with his television commercials, which solidified his position as Mr. Italy to generations of TV viewers. One of the best parts of my job is to carry on his tradition of reaching out to our customers through television! Through the years, that has resulted in some fun and very memorable ...

Published on Saturday, October 1, 2016 by Kathy McCabe A new permanent exhibit on anatomy will open Oct. 22 at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in the artist’s Tuscan hometown of Vinci. The exhibit will explore da Vinci’s anatomical studies and include educational activities, tours and children’s activities. Perhaps the most curious person in history, da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, engineer, scientist, artist, and...

Published on Sunday, September 25, 2016 by Kathy McCabe One of Italy’s lesser-known destinations, the Grotta Nuova di Villanova (the New Cave of Villanova) offers visitors a spectacular cave experience complete with stalactites, stalagmites, and other rock and mineral formations. The Grotta Nuova is part of the Grotte di Villanova (Villanova Caves), a network of caves in northern Italy that have been explored since the 1...

Published on Saturday, September 10, 2016 by Kathy McCabe As part of an ongoing facelift to Florence’s Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the piazza’s two, 500-year-old marble obelisks have been restored. The project, which cost 95,000€, began in December 2015 and was funded by the Florence I Care project, a collaboration between the city government and private groups that helps promote and protect the artistic, social and sc...

Published on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Two neighboring Tuscan towns, both with abundant agricultural assets but a shortage of manpower, are considering merging into one. San Giovanni d’Asso, famous for its truffles, and the larger city of Montalcino (pictured) 10 miles south, known for the Brunello di Montacino wine, would combine but keep Montalcino’s name and crest. It’s not as radical as it se...

Published on Saturday, August 27, 2016 by Kathy McCabe For travelers seeking an otherworldly experience, the allegedly haunted Isola Bisentina, said to host spirits, demons, and other monstrous creatures, may transport you to another realm. The island is in the middle of Lago di Bolsena, a crater lake located in the province of Viterbo about 81 miles north of Rome. The island was inhabited during ancient Etruscan and ...

Published on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 by Kathy McCabe August in Italy primarily means two things: vacation month for Italians all over the country, and hot weather that drives the masses to the coast. Popular vacation spots around the country are crowded, and visitors will go to great lengths to ensure their holiday is perfect. At the beach, it’s very common for both vacationing foreigners and Italians to leave their ...

Published on Sunday, July 31, 2016 by Kathy McCabe In an Italian city famous for its meat dishes and cheeses, a new mayor wants to upend the status quo in favor of a plant-based lifestyle. Turin Mayor Chiara Appendino, who was elected in June, and her city council released their five-year plan for the city, which emphasizes sustainability and promoting veganism. The plan is the first political initiative in Italy that...