Published on Sunday, May 6, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The Tremiti Islands, an archipelago off of Italy’s east coast, banned all single-use plastic dinnerware from the islands beginning May 1 of this year. Anyone caught using disposable plates, cups and utensils will be fined 50€ to 500€ – including businesses, locals and tourists. The islands’ mayor, Antonio Fentini, instituted the ban after scientists measu...

Published on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The ciborium in the abbey at San Miniato al Monte in Florence has been restored in time for the 1,000-year anniversary of the abbey’s founding. The ciborium – a covered altar with four columns and an intricate arched ceiling – was completed in 1448 at the request of Piero de’ Medici and designed by architect and sculptor Michelozzo di Bartolomeo. It was built ...

Published on Saturday, April 28, 2018 by Kathy McCabe From now until May 1, Venice is prohibiting tourist access into the main parts of the city. The restrictions are intended to ease crowds during the Festa del Lavoro holiday, Italy’s Labor Day and a popular traveling time for Italians. Tourists traveling to popular places such as Rialto or Piazza San Marco will be redirected along alternate routes. The Strada Nuov...

Published on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Archaeologists have found the remains of what is believed to be the first port of Naples, underneath the city’s current seafront. Near the Castel dell’Ovo, a team of divers discovered four tunnels about 10 meters (33 feet) below the water, which could have been used to moor ships 2,500 years ago. Also discovered was a 10-foot-wide street with grooves from cart whe...

Published on Saturday, April 14, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The Olympics could be coming back to Italy, as the country plans to submit a bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics jointly in Milan and Turin. The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stating its intention and saying that CONI wishes to continue the current “dialogue phase” of the 2026 bidding process, which a...

Published on Saturday, April 7, 2018 by Kathy McCabe According to a report published by the World Travel and Tourism Committee (WTTC), tourist spending in Italy jumped 6.5% to 39.6€ billion in 2017, making Italy the sixth-largest travel economy in the world. The average increase in tourist spending worldwide was 4.3%. Travel and tourism in Italy in 2017 was a 223.2€ billion industry, including direct and indirec...

Published on Sunday, April 1, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Two leading independent airport organizations have recognized Rome’s Fiumicino Airport as the world’s most improved airport and the airport with the best quality of services. Skytrax, an airport rating and assessment company, named Fiumicino the world’s most improved airport. Each year, Skytrax reviews more than 550 airports worldwide to determine which one ...

Published on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The Monday after Easter is called Pasquetta in Italian - or "little Easter" - and Italians usually spend the day picnicking in the countryside. This year, that day is April 2. And here at Perillo Tours, we are going to make it a BIG DAY! Book any Perillo Tour (Italy or Hawaii) on Monday, April 2 and we will send each person a $50 American Express Gift Card as a tha...

Published on Saturday, March 3, 2018 by Kathy McCabe In modern times, most countries are moving away from governance by a monarchy – with the exception of something of a principality in Italy, which adopted a monarchy in 1963 and is now seeking to become a sovereign nation. Seborga, a 5.4-square-mile parcel of land near the French-Italian border and in the region of Liguria, has only 320 residents, but is making its ...

Published on Monday, February 26, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The second-largest Italian airline, Meridiana, has rebranded under the name Air Italy. With financial support from new shareholder Qatar Airways, Air Italy is looking to become Italy’s premier airline, as Alitalia is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Qatar Airways bought a 49% share in the airline in 2017. Meridiana will begin its brand transformation in May wit...