toni brancatisano

Tours – Carrara Marble Tour If you happen to find yourself lying on one of the beautiful beaches along the Versilian coast in northern Tuscany, it would be impossible not to admire the majestic Apuan Alps. It would be easy …

Many years ago, when I was living in the town of Pietrasanta, located on the coast of northern Tuscany, a friend visited from London. Sitting down in a local trattoria, she asked the waiter to surprise her with something traditional. …

It is a well-known fact that the city of Rome becomes a stifling oven during the summer months, and it is during this time that the city appears eerily quiet every weekend, as the locals evacuate the city for some …

Making your own pasta isn’t difficult, and I was reminded whilst making these ravioli just how satisfying, relaxing and therapeutic it can be. I realized I seriously don’t make pasta often enough and so I hope to make an effort …

The ancient city of Rome is famous for many historic monuments (which many tourists line up to visit every year), but sometimes, some real antique monuments are seen by looking down, and not admiring upwards. A feature of the city …

San Daniele del Friuli is a beautiful, quaint small town in Italy’s northern region Friuli Venezia Giulia, in the province of Udine.  It is situated on the top of a hill, half-way between the mountains and the Adriatic Sea, near …

Christmas time is usually associated with special recipes that quite often are traditional to our family. Along with Christmas cake and Christmas pudding, mince pies are an essential part of my Christmas celebrations. Mince pies are part of a type of …

I knew I had become truly Italian once I had mastered shopping for food on a daily basis (every morning) as opposed to a large once-weekly supermarket shop. Food shopping Italian style means encompassing the fundamentals of an Italian diet, …

Whether you visit Rome for a quick 24 hours before heading off to explore other regions of Italy, or you plan to stay longer in the Eternal City,  there is a list of must-do’s  which I consider obligatory.  While you …

The city of Rome has more than 2,000 years of history (assumed to have been founded on April 21, 753 BC) and it is full of ancient, or very old (historic) buildings, churches and monuments. The whole world knows the …