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Turin Mayor Wants to Make City Vegan
Published on Sunday, July 31, 2016 by 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...
Italy’s First Naked Restaurant Opens
Published on Monday, July 18, 2016 by An Italian restaurant looking to increase business has started to offer weekly naked dinners to attract members of Italy’s small but growing nudist community, inspired by a similar concept at the London restaurant Bunyadi. Nudist sites, such as beaches, became legal in Italy in 2006, and it is estimated that there are 600,000 nudists in Italy who visit them regularl...
Venice Hit With Unusual Acqua Alta in June
Published on Sunday, June 26, 2016 by Much of Venice was  underwater last week as an out-of-season acqua alta, or high water, takes hold. The tidal flooding causes the Adriatic Sea to overflow into the streets of Venice, this time covering St. Mark’s Square and other parts of the city with one meter (3.3 feet) of water and undoubtedly creating a nuisance for tourists stuck without rain boots. During...
New Uniforms and Lounges for Alitalia
Published on Friday, June 24, 2016 by As part of a rebranding to fit in with shareholder Etihad Airways, Alitalia unveiled new staff uniforms in May. A red, green and navy blue color scheme replaces the former navy blue and green, and the outfits are designed by Milan-based fashion designer Ettore Bilotta – who also designed new uniforms for Etihad Airways in 2015 – and tailor-made by 500 other Itali...
Italy Not Putting Up Candidates for 2016 World Heritage Sites
Published on Friday, June 17, 2016 by For the first time in 16 years, none of the 29 candidates for 2016 UNESCO World Heritage Site status are in Italy. Italy currently holds the world record for most UNESCO World Heritage sites, at 51; behind Italy, China has 48 and Spain has 44. But, as Franco Bernabè, the president of Italy’s UNESCO commission, explained to La Repubblica, “it’s not a sporting co...
Europe’s Newest Railway Tunnel Cuts Travel Time to Milan
Published on Friday, June 10, 2016 by On June 1, high-speed passenger trains began cruising through Europe’s – and the world’s – newest and longest railway tunnel, cutting travel time between Zurich and Milan by one hour. The new Gotthard Base Tunnel is 57 kilometers (35.4 miles) long and was carved through the central Swiss Alps. It is almost four times longer than the original Gotthard Tunne...
Visit A Very Special Cat Beach in Sardinia
Published on Monday, May 30, 2016 by On Sardinia’s west coast, a beach that is home to dozens of cats has become a popular tourist destination. Feral cats have lived on the beach in the small fishing village of Su Pallosu for more than a century, when they were brought to the beach by fishermen to control the mice population. Today, about half of the 61 resident feral cats are related to the original c...
Lazio’s Park of Monsters Shocks Visitors
Published on Sunday, May 22, 2016 by Like a carnival fun house set amid wild greenery, the Park of Monsters — also called the Gardens of Bomarzo and Sacro Bosco (sacred grove) — is meant to shock visitors with its bizarre, spooky statues and structures. Pier Francesco Orsini, also known as Vicino, was a condottiero, a leader of professional military free companies, or mercenaries, and commissioned th...
Temple of Valadier: Le Marche’s Hidden Church
Published on Monday, May 16, 2016 by Tucked away inside the Frasassi Caves like a pearl in an oyster, the Temple of Valadier may well be one of the hardest churches to get to in Italy, but also the one with the best view from its entrance. The Frasassi Caves are located in the town of Genga, in the Le Marche region, and are a popular site with visitors, but few make the steep one-mile trek through the mo...
Vaporettos in Venice: Locals to Board First
Published on Thursday, May 12, 2016 by If your Italian travel plans include Venice this summer, be aware that your wait for a classic vaporetto (water bus) ride may be longer than you expect. As reported in The Local, Venetian authorities have authorized residents to board first. Starting in June, at eight water bus stops (including Canal Grande, Santa Chiara, Santa Lucia e Rialto, San Marco, Lido, Mura...