Published on Friday, March 7, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Mr. Peabody & Sherman, the latest animated release from DreamWorks,  opens today in the U.S. (and March 13th in Italy). It is noteworthy to Italophiles because part of the animated action takes place in Renaissance Florence. The main characters in the movie are Mr. Peabody, the most accomplished dog in the world, and his human Sherman. They have a time machine -...

Published on Sunday, March 2, 2014 by Kathy McCabe It took eight years to construct and now the world's largest maze or labyrinth is set to open in Italy. The 17-acre Labirinto della Masone is set on the estate of art publisher Franco Maria Ricci in the town of Fontanellato near Parma in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Italy Magazine reports, "It consists of a mix of 120,000 species of bamboo that edge almost 2 mil...

Published on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 by Kathy McCabe If you're visiting the Uffizi Gallery in Florence between now and April 29th, you have an exciting opportunity to see one of Florence's hidden art collections. Visit Tuscany reports that the Contini Bonacossi Collection, usually closed to the public, will be available for guided tours (though only in Italian) to anyone who purchases a ticket to the Uffizi. The col...

Published on Sunday, February 23, 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 each week. Here are our top picks for this week: Academy of Silence: A new organization in Tuscany seeks to gather a list of the quietest hotels, towns and other places in Italy.  One of them, Eremito Hotelito del Alma in Umbria is pict...

Published on Monday, February 3, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Today the Vatican opened the Roman Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis to the public for the first time. The ancient burial ground dates back to the first century B.C. when it was the place of final rest for local Romans. The 10,000-square-foot site was originally uncovered during the 1950s during construction of a new parking garage underneath the Vatican. ...

Published on Friday, January 31, 2014 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: Superhero Pope: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is Pope Francis! Check out this very cool graffiti in Rome.  (The Telegraph) Dish by Dish in Italy's Regions: You can tell a lot abo...

Published on Monday, January 20, 2014 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: How to Do Florence on a Budget: Budget-friendly ways to take in art, see great views and eat well in Firenze. (Budget Travel) Obama to Visit Italy in March: The President will meet with Pope Fra...

Published on Thursday, January 16, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Visiting San Gimignano, the Tuscan town famous for its towers, can feel like a journey back in time. One of the town's museums - San Gimignano 1300 -  helps you have this time travel feeling with an historic, miniature version of what this UNESCO World Heritage Site was like in the year 1300.  While numerous towers in other Italian cities have ben destroyed by t...

Published on Sunday, January 12, 2014 by Steve I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I have a video series called Steve's Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy. Rome is the place to be these days! With the popularity of Pope Francis soaring, the number of visitors to the Italian capital increased 5% last year and visits to the Vatican increased ...

Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 by Steve So you're planning to go travel to Italy in 2014 but not quite sure where to start? We're here to help. After all, my family has been offering Italy tours and planning Italy itineraries for 69 years. Here's a quick guide to picking the perfect Italy trip for you: First Trip to Italy - Escorted Tours If you've never been to Italy before, the best cities to vi...