Susan Nelson

When I spend time in Italy, one of my favorite things to do is people watch. I love to observe the locals in action. They are similar and yet different from my culture here in the states. Although I remain …

Mystery surrounds Lord Cangrande I (1291 to 1329), early Lord of Verona, like a dark shadow. Historical documents claimed he expired suddenly from polluted drinking water but doubt remained among scholars. Shocking results from a recent exhumation revealed toxic levels …

Venice has much to be admired for, including St. Marks Basilica, Byzantine art, the rambling Museo Correr, the famed Rialto Bridge crowded with shops, and winding waterways. However, the one thing I look forward to the most, without exception, is doing …

Considered by Michelangelo to be his finest and most outstanding sculpture, Moses sits inside the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli twisting in displeasure. Intensity emanates from his eyes, his muscles tense and his leg drawn back as if he’s …

We stood transfixed at the Temple of Jupiter Anxur on Mount St. Angelo. I had previously gazed up at the temple from below and noticed the large terraced platform with a long row of support arches running underneath. It was …

Many people who go to Rome for the first time mistake the Theater of Marcellus for the Colosseum, and understandably so. The grandiosity of the tall arches and circular shape bears a strong resemblance, even though a good portion of …

During the filming of The Passion of the Christ in Matera, everyone around Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Christ, said they saw fire coming out of the right and left side of his head. A glow surrounded his entire …

One of my very favorite places in Rome is the Pantheon with the small Piazza della Rotunda just to the south of it. Every trip to Rome is not complete without a visit to this glorious first century monument. There …

Once the exotic playground of Roman emperors Julius Caesar, Nero and Caligula, the one-time seaside resort of Baia enticed and tickled the fancies of the elite. Horace described it as “Nowhere in the world is more agreeable than Baia.” Pliny …

Have you ever been to a winery that is somewhere between heaven and bliss? I’m not sure that spot exists, but I would say this describes the popular Castello Monaci winery in Puglia. The sun-drenched vineyards lie between the Ionian …