All Around Italy

Fiat 500 Restoration: You, Me and Sicily 

When I first heard about Stendhal’s Syndrome I thought it was a joke. It is not. This illness has been scientifically researched and documented; it is also listed in the Zingarelli, the best Italian dictionary. And now you can even …

Close your eyes. Imagine walking down winding, cobbled lanes that slope increasingly downward, wandering away from the cream and mustard colored houses with terra cotta roofs and onto a hoof-beaten dirt path that leads into the woods—a grove of orange …

Christmas time. Children love it: as the days go by and the 25th approaches they can hardly wait to see what Santa is going to leave underneath the tree. Most adults, whether they like to admit it or not, are …

If you’re an ancient history buff, or if you took Classics in college, you may remember that on one faithful day, sometimes between the 7th and the 8th century BC, the Greeks set foot in Sicily, and never quite left …

After seeing La Guardia Svizzera, or in English, the Swiss Guard, standing at attention at the gates of the Holy City, donned with their halberds, their chest armor, their blue, yellow and red striped uniforms, and helmets with red fur …

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 …

Most Roman emperors liked to get out of Rome every now and then. Julius Caesar, Nero and Caligula favoured Baiae in Campania, enjoying its mild climate, thermal baths, and, in Nero’s case, opportunities for matricide. Fearing assassination, Tiberius left Rome …

It has been just a few weeks since the Italian media coverage began to be monopolized by the success of the new TV series Medici: Masters of Florence starring Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman. As it appears, the intrigues of …

The influence of the powerful Medici dynasty can be seen everywhere in Florence. Palazzo Vecchio was once the home of the Medici; the Uffizi Gallery began as a collection of Medici art; the churches of Florence are filled with famous …