Published on Thursday, February 22, 2018 by Kathy McCabe In anticipation of peak summer tourist season, the Duomo cathedral complex in Florence is stepping up security measures by installing seven metal detectors in the building. The new walk-through metal detectors will replace the old handheld detectors, with the goal of reducing the time spent waiting to clear security and helping the monuments’ 1.4 million annual visi...

Published on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Venice is gearing up to celebrate Tintoretto’s 500th birthday all year, with the main event on Sept. 7. The painter, whose real name was Jacopo Robusti, was born in Venice in 1518, though his exact birthdate is unknown. The months-long celebration will include special events around the city in honor of the artist and his paintings, which can be seen in several Venet...

Published on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 by Kathy McCabe At the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, a newly restored bathroom used by Cosimo I de’ Medici – called the Comodo di Cosimo – is now open to the public. More like a spa than a bathroom, the Renaissance-era Comodo di Cosimo features a large stone bathtub, a hydraulic system used to heat the water, and a niche with a vent that may have contained bottles of essence...

Published on Saturday, November 25, 2017 by Kathy McCabe After years of protests by locals against cruise ships in Venice, the city has decided that in four years, cruise ships weighing 96,000 tons will no longer be able to drop anchor in St. Mark’s Basin in Venice. They will instead have to keep at a distance from the city, landing on the mainland in Marghera, where the Venice airport is also located. A committee of loca...

Published on Friday, November 10, 2017 by Kathy McCabe I’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I'm thrilled to host 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. This time I'm back talking about a most important activity in Italy - eating - and what better time to do it than at dinner! In this video, I tell you how to do dinner r...

Published on Friday, September 15, 2017 by Kathy McCabe This week, Milan is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the world’s first shopping mall and one of Milan’s grandest landmarks. It opened on Sept. 15, 1867 and was commissioned by King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1865, who had unified Italy just four years earlier in 1861. “Paying tribute to the Galleria means celebrating the ar...

Published on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Good news for travelers who rely on their smartphones to get around: Italy has launched a nationwide free Wi-Fi app that enables Italians and foreigners to connect to hot spots all over the country with a single sign-on. Users only need to fill out information the first time they log in; after that, they can connect automatically to Wi-Fi hotspots around the country a...

Published on Friday, July 28, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Two new sites in Italy have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bringing the country’s total number of sites to 53, the most in the world. The two sites are the Venetian works of defense, which stretch across the country’s northeast, and a group of 10 ancient beech tree forests. The Venetian works of defense include historically significant defensiv...

Published on Monday, July 24, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Florence will begin a “free flow” bike-sharing program on July 24, enabling riders to rent bicycles from anywhere in the city. Unlike traditional bike-sharing programs that require users to visit designated rental stations, Florence’s program will allow riders to rent bikes from anywhere, at any time. Bikes are a great way to get around the city! Through a sm...

Published on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 by Kathy McCabe To discourage tourists from loitering, eating lunch and leaving trash on the steps of two of its most famous churches, Florence street cleaners will hose down the steps and prohibit people from entering the area. The Basilica di Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried, and the Chiesa di Santo Spirito – along with the streets of the city center, a UNESCO World Heri...