Published on Sunday, October 25, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a regular 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: Best Italian Wine Region You've Never Heard Of:  Friuli-Venezia Giulia’s vineyards, such as Rosazzo, benefit from the breezy, sunny microclimate created by their equidistance from the Austrian Alp...

Published on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Around and about the city of Florence, worn-down walls are covered with text—but it’s not careless graffiti, it’s carefully written poetry, typed on sheets of white paper taped into small galleries. These instances of “poetry on the wall,” as they’re often called, are crafted and hung by the Movimento per l’Emancipazione della Poesia, or the Movement for...

Published on Saturday, November 22, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Imagine waking up to the sound of a bell that’s been gently tolling for hundreds of years—or savoring a meal made with herbs from a garden tended by a religious order. The hundreds of convents and monasteries that dot Italy top to toe aren’t just reminders of the country’s long history of faith. Today, visitors can choose different ways to experience these ins...

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 Tuesday, October 14, 2014 by Kathy McCabe The small silver plaques posted on the sides of buildings in Florence are inconspicuous, but their significance isn’t lost on Florentines. These rectangular flood markers all around the city, dating from medieval times, have inscriptions with the date of each flood and a line indicating how high the water rose that year. Florence is prone to flooding due to t...

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 Monday, July 28, 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: Do Umbria on A Budget:  Umbria, home to Assisi and green rolling hills, is well worth a visit, and can be done affordably.  (The Guardian) Italy's Prison Paradises:  Though they once held s...

Published on Saturday, June 14, 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: Baptistery Dressed in Pucci: Florence's famous Baptistery is undergoing renovations and there are some fashionable duds hiding the work.  (The Florentine) Amalfi Coast Road Trip:  Yes, you c...

Published on Saturday, February 22, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Florence is the home of two of the world's most famous and most visited museums — the Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery — so it isn't surprising that some of the "other" Florence museums don't get as much publicity but can be just as fascinating and worth seeing. So if you're visiting Florence and have some extra time after seeing the main sites, consider a visit t...

Published on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 by Kathy McCabe While seeing the relics of ancient history and indulging in mouth-watering food are certainly a few of the highlight of a visit to Italy, for many visitors shopping is one of the activities they most look forward to. After all, here’s the chance to get those wonderful Italian products we all love, right from the source and in unique designs and offerings we can�...