Published on Sunday, November 24, 2019 by Kathy McCabe To the delight of art lovers, Italy’s popular free museum Sundays are back. This popular program, which offers free entry on the first Sunday of the month for both Italian and foreign visitors at state-run museums around the country, was introduced in 2014 by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. About 15 million visitors took advantage of the offering in total Ho...

Published on Thursday, August 23, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Thanks to a July agreement between Italian aerospace companies and Virgin Galactic, Italy could soon launch itself into the nascent world of space tourism. On a recent visit to the White House, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte talked about “launching, as soon as possible, new planes that, crossing the atmosphere, will be able to connect Italy and the United Sta...

Published on Tuesday, April 26, 2016 by Kathy McCabe In the most recent Trivago user survey, the top three of 20 historic towns in Italy are Otranto in Puglia, Sperlonga in Lazio and Cefalù in Sicily.  The users rated these towns not just on their beauty and surroundings, but also on how accommodations compare with other towns in their regions. In Otranto in the southernmost Salento area, an overnight stay in April co...

Published on Friday, May 15, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The International Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has once again given Italy the highest number of Blue Flag beaches, bringing Italy's total to 280. The Blue Flag designation means that a beach meets the organization’s high eco-standards for cleanliness and sustainability. FEE Italy President Claudio Mazza says that the constant increase, up from 248...

Published on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a weekly post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web. Here are our top picks for this week: Lesser Known Rome:  This brief video gives travelers ideas of less famous places to visit in Rome including Centrale Montemartini where ancient artwork on display in a decommissioned power station. ...

Published on Monday, October 28, 2013 by Kathy McCabe I've been in the region of Puglia, in the heel of the Italian boot,  this week. The most southern part of the region is called the Salento and here they eat a favorite sweet pastry -- pasticciotto! This single-serving, crusted cake with sweet filling was born sometime in the 18th century. Of course, there is debate about where exactly this sweet treasure was in...

Published on Friday, August 30, 2013 by Steve The Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week: Looking for the Borgias:  Novelist Sarah Dunant  is an expert on the Borgia clan who were true power brokers in 16th-century Italy. (The Daily Mail) 36 Hours in Lecce: This city in the region ...

Published on Monday, August 12, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week: Siena: Italy's Medieval Gem:  Rick Steves explores the Tuscan city of Siena and recommends sites, hotels and restaurants. (The Seattle Times) Italy With A Baby: New parents take their baby to P...

Published on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Wine Enthusiast magazine has named the southern Italian region of Puglia as one of the 10 best wine destinations of 2013. It was the only place in Italy to make this year's list. "Flanked by two seas, magical Puglia is a thin peninsula packed tight with the same attributes that attracted us to Italy decades ago: it's an undiscovered land with an enviable quality o...

Published on Monday, October 22, 2012 by Kathy McCabe There's nothing like a celebrity wedding to bring attention to a lesser known destination and the wedding of Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in Puglia last week has put this southern Italian region on the map. The singer and actress were married at a new, stunning luxury hotel in the seaside town of Savelletri. Borgo Egnazia, an estate of white-washed traditiona...