Published on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 by Kathy McCabe After a fierce competition, Matera in the southern Italian region of Basilicata has been named as European Capital of Culture for 2019. The small town expects more than 5 million visitors in 2019, and plans to complete public works projects and city improvements to host the event. A town of 60,000 people, Matera is little-visited by travelers and is best known as...

Published on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Archaeological excavations have proven that the heart of Florence has been in the same spot for thousands of years – underneath the famous Palazzo Vecchio, itself built in 1299. The excavations unearthed the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater in Florence, extending to nearby Piazza della Signoria, where archaeologists have found objects dating to the ancient Rom...

Published on Sunday, October 5, 2014 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: Rowing in Venice: “There is no better way to connect with Venice than with an oar and discovering the original way of life that so few sustain,” says Nan McElroy.  (The New York Times) Rom...

Published on Thursday, October 2, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Wine, food, family, beauty, and romance--all of these words evoke the country we all adore - Italy - and all of them appear at least once in this list about five of the latest books published about Italy and that magic spell it casts on all of us. VENICE: A 3D KEEPSAKE CITYSCAPE by Sarah McMenemy might become your own favorite keepsake of the water-driven place, ev...

Published on Monday, September 29, 2014 by Kathy McCabe To commemorate 2,000 years since the death of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, in 14 AD, the ancient Baths of Diocletian reopened to the public last week in Rome. Visitors can view the natation (outdoor swimming pool) and the small cloister of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli, which was built in the 16th century on the ruins of the baths. Marble sculptures...

Published on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Mantua Italy. Does it ring a bell?  Chances are you have never heard of this small Italian city sitting on the Po River in the northern Italy. But the city has been coming out of the shadows lately, most recently with an article in The Telegraph calling it "The Powerhouse of the Renaissance." Here are some fun facts about Mantua: 1. It’s known to Italians as the...

Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 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: Romantic Venice: The top 10 things to do to celebrate love in this most romantic of Italian cities.  (Swide) Police Foil Wine Scam:  Officers uncover plot to flood global market with more th...

Published on Friday, September 12, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Summer storms have dampened Italian wine grape production, putting this year’s harvest on track to be the most meager since 1950. If Italy produces an estimated 900 million gallons of wine in 2014 – 15% less than in 2013 – it will cede its position as the world’s most prolific wine producer to France. The 2014 grape harvest will also begin later than in previo...

Published on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 by Steve Derek Jeter, You're retiring from the Yankees. What are you going to do? Jeter: I'm going on a Perillo Tour to Italy! Sunday's Yankee game was incredibly thrilling for all of us here at Perillo Tours. It was Derek Jeter Day at the stadium. As we all know, the great Derek Jeter is retiring at the end of the season. The Yankees want him to have some fun in his ...

Published on Thursday, September 4, 2014 by Steve A Very Special Invitation to Spend Christmas in Italy... And Not Just for the $1000 Savings Per Couple Thanks to our faithful clients and travel agents, this has been a banner year to Italy! That’s why our hotel partners in Venice, Florence and Rome are asking, “What about this coming Christmas 2014? Why isn’t our Marco Polo Tour on December 18 to 27 sold out...