elizabeth salthouse

Strolling around the hilltop city of Siena is a glorious experience. The walled citadel perches atop three hills overlooking the Tuscan plains. Its narrow streets wander and weave between soaring gothic palaces. And at the heart lies Piazza del Campo, …

Taking its name from the Arabic for workshop, Venice’s Arsenale enormous shipyard was the real powerhouse of the city. Its 16,000 workers built an unrivalled navy enabling Venice to dominate eastern Mediterranean waters for centuries. They built galleons to transport …

Perugia is famous for two things: jazz and chocolate. In July its music festival turns the city into an enormous jazz club, drawing musicians and aficionados from around the globe. In October a sweet veil of chocolate covers the city …

Rome’s history dates back nearly 3000 years. And, amazingly, some of its oldest heritage is either still in use like the Pantheon, still standing like the Colosseum or still visible like the Circus Maximus. But Rome is an historic iceberg; …

On June 11th 2002 the United States House of Representatives righted a wrong that had persisted for over 130 years. They passed a resolution honoring Antonio Meucci, an Italian migrant who lived in Staten Island, for his key contribution to …

Founded by a legendary Trojan prince, occupied since Neolithic times and surrounded by fields of perfumed Lavender, Tuscania is the perfect hilltop spot to escape the summer heat of nearby Rome. Each July the village turns lilac as its annual …

Venice’s iconic Rialto Bridge is on everyone’s Top 10 must-see list. But apart from taking a selfie at the top or a beautiful panoramic photo down the Grand Canal, few stop to consider the history behind the bridge. Fewer still …