All Around Italy

Italy is all beautiful, but it’s undeniable that outside national borders some regions are more popular than others: topping the world’s preferences are usually Tuscany, Sicily and Umbria, followed by the regions where our most famous cities are: Campania for …

As your eyes acclimatize to the soft ambient light, sacred statues begin to peek out from shaded alcoves. A single shaft of dazzling sunlight hits the floor, drawing your gaze up to the heavens. And the smell of incense assails …

For a little town just off the A16 autostrada, east of Naples, Nola has some big claims to fame. Spartacus once conquered it, Hadrian tried and the first Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus died here. Nola also famously introduced bells to …

Pinned like a medieval brooch on the slopes of Mount Milocca, Castelbuono is the leading producer of manna in all the Mediterranean region. In this small corner of the Madonie Park near Cefalù, manna does not fall from the sky …

Summer is on its way, or so we all hope here in Italy. The weather remains unstable, albeit temperatures are pleasant and I happily enjoyed my first seasonal swim in the sea over a week ago. In any case, with …

Among the reasons that make the Tuscan region one of the most beloved of the whole Bel Paese, the fine arts, its unique landscapes and its delicious food are definitely on top of the list. What is more, the possibilities …

For a new angle on Italy, ditch the car and try sailing off on the Ionian Sea along the coast off Rocca Imperiale, a bijou-size borgo that just joined the club of the most beautiful villages of Il Bel Paese. A sojourn …

Born Joanne Stefani Germanotta, Lady Gaga was raised in Manhattan, but her melodramatic excess and sense of the theatrical baroque might spring from her Sicilian cultural matrix. Her grandfather came from Naso, a small, isolated, aristocratic town with 4,000 residents …

There is a remote island of resilient men in southwestern Sardinia. It is called San Pietro and legend has it that St. Peter visited in 46 AD. The lovely town of Carloforte lies at its heart as an island within …

Come to the beach where the sea is blue, and little white waves come running at you. A wave comes splashing, over your toes; you just stand still, and away it goes. We’ll build a castle down by the sea …