elizabeth salthouse

Combining simple, local ingredients with tradition, a dash of history and never-ending love Mantuan cuisine is known as the food of princes and people. Many dishes date back to the days of the House of Gonzaga, a princely family that …

Hidden away in a tiny little workshop at the bottom of a walled garden sits the last artisan battiloro in Europe. Beating out a rhythmic golden heartbeat, his hand-held hammer pummels a pack of gold nuggets into gossamer-thin gold leaf …

Walk through Trastevere or along the Tiber River in Rome, explore the labyrinthine Cannaregio district of Venice or stroll down Viale Montegrappa in Reggio Emilia and you’ll spot something they all have in common; little brass cobblestones set into the …

His story was so incredible that even his wife didn’t believe it. And if it hadn’t been for a group of Hungarian women, no-one would ever have known. But the truth is that Giorgio Perlasca from Como in northern Italy, …

Fifty years ago rain, mud and sorrow descended on two of Italy’s most loved historic cities, Florence and Venice. At the height of the floods waters rose to 6.7m in parts of Florence and inundated over 75% of Venice, leaving …

Gloriously glamorous villas dot the lakeside. Fearless kite-surfers scoot and skate over the sun-kissed water. And snow-capped mountains tumble towards the water’s edge where colorful villages cling. Look a little closer, though, and you start to spot buildings with no …

From scarlet undies to pig’s trotters, fireworks to fearless bridge divers or tombola to fat ox parades, Italians love to celebrate the New Year with some wonderful traditions. It’s all to help usher in good luck and a good year. …

Bordered by Tuscany to the west, Le Marche to the east and Lazio to the south the central region of Umbria is the only one without a coastline or to border another country. Its renowned for its sweet-toothed capital of …

St Francis of Assisi invented the idea. Sculptors and woodcarvers have made them for nearly 800 years. And at this time of year they’re a common sight in homes, churches and town squares around the Christian world. But there’s one …

There’s been a bridge at the site of Florence’s legendary Ponte Vecchio since the days of the ancient Romans. Today it’s a focus for Florence’s jewellers and draws tourists from around the world. But the bridge has had a fascinating …