Published on Friday, April 5, 2019 by Kathy McCabe If you’re planning on hiking the clifftop trails that overlook the Cinque Terre coastline, you’ll need to bring sturdy shoes. Common sense, right? Not exactly, as many visitors attempt to hike in sandals, not realizing the terrain is more like a mountain trail than a beach boardwalk. Cinque Terre National Park is rolling out a public information campaign advisi...

Published on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Easter (Pasqua in Italian) is a magical time to visit any part of Italy. In 2019, Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 21st.  The Easter season  is filled with food (yes, even Easter eggs have made their way here), family and religious rituals.  But there's something very special about spending Easter in Rome, with the Vatican taking center stage in the fes...

Published on Thursday, March 14, 2019 by Kathy McCabe After being closed since 2016 for safety reasons, Florence’s Vasari Corridor will reopen in 2021. The passageway will undergo an 18-month renovation costing 10 million euros. Commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1565 and built in 1585, the enclosed Vasari Corridor was a way for Florentine nobility to walk unbothered from their offices in the Uffizi Gallery and P...

Published on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The Venitian beach resort of Bibione  will ban cigarettes beginning at the end of May, in time for the summer crowds. The beach is the first to ban smoking in Italy, and intends to eliminate cigarette butt pollution and the exposure of visitors to secondhand smoke. Italy banned smoking in enclosed public places, such as offices and restaurants, in 2005, but so far ha...

Published on Thursday, February 28, 2019 by Kathy McCabe A new tram line has opened in Florence, connecting the airport and the city center at Piazza dell’Unità near Santa Maria Novella Central Station in 22 minutes. The T2 line is the second tram line to open in Florence and has 12 stops. The T1 line opened in 2010 and links Villa Costanza with Careggi in the northern outskirts of Florence, passing through Santa Maria N...

Published on Sunday, February 10, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Most of the world celebrates Valentine’s Day on February 14, but it is not widely known that St. Valentine was born and later buried in the Umbrian town of Terni. February 14th is the anniversary of his death and it is a day to celebrate love and lovers. According to one legend, St. Valentine, a bishop, got his reputation as the patron saint of lovers when he wed...

Published on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The city of Bologna is famous for its cuisine and its covered porticoes, but recently it is making headlines for other reasons. From April to September each year, the city’s initiative “Bella Mossa” kicks into full swing. “Bella Mossa” translates to “Good Job” or “Good Move” and it is a way to not only benefit the environment but to be rewarded at th...

Published on Saturday, January 26, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The city of Matera, deep in Italy’s Basilicata region has a big year on the horizon. It is the European Capital of Culture for 2019, and the title is a source of pride for the entire nation, but especially for the residents of the city. Matera is unlike any other city in the world. Houses are carved into mountains’ rocky landscape and some have been continuousl...

Published on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Many tourists from the United States hear “Christmas market” and immediately think of Germany’s deservedly famous “Weinachtsmarkts” and “Kristkindlmarkts,” both of which conjure up the smell of Gluehwein and the sizzle of roast bratwurst. But Italy has its own legion of markets during the winter holidays, and like everything Italian, they’re focused mo...

Published on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Construction work completed in 2001 is having an unexpected effect on the Leaning Tower of Pisa: Since then, its tilt has lessened by 1.5 inches. The tower was closed to visitors from 1990 to 2001 while construction work was done to correct the tilt and protect its long-term stability. When it reopened, it had straightened by 15.95 inches, returning its slant to th...