Published on Saturday, March 26, 2016 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a regular post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web. Here are our top picks for this week: Legendary Lake Como: Movie stars, Russian oligarchs and world leaders have succumbed to the relaxing allure of the lake. (My Statesman) Etruscan Treasures: Three free archaeological tours in Tus...

Published on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 by Kathy McCabe A new book from authors and culinary writers Leslie Pariseau and Talia Baiocchi, titled Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, with Recipes, aims to highlight the fizzy side of Italian bar culture by exploring the history of and creative variations on the spritz cocktail. "The spritz’s popularity is symbolic of a pendulum shift away from the how-much-b...

Published on Friday, March 18, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Florence’s famous Vasari Corridor, which connects the Palazzo Pitti to the Palazzo Vecchio, is currently only accessible through private tours. However, that may change, says the director of the Uffizi, Eike Schmidt, who hopes to open the corridor to the public. “My aim is to eliminate privileges and offer the possibility, not the obligation, of passing through...

Published on Sunday, March 13, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Planning your wedding? Why not get married in Italy? That's what many people are choosing to do. According to Italian news agency ANSA, Italy’s marriage tourism industry grew to a 400€ million industry in 2015. Italy is now the second-most coveted wedding destination in the world after the tropical locale of Hawaii.  Foreigners are choosing to marry in the count...

Published on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 by Kathy McCabe At the suggestion of the Italian government, the country’s UNESCO heritage commission plans to propose that the art of making Neapolitan pizza be included on the United Nations’ Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The proposal would officially distinguish Neapolitan pizza from other world-famous styles of pizza such as New York-style and Chicago-style...

Published on Saturday, March 5, 2016 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a regular post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web. Here are our top picks for this week: Olive Oil Law: Italy's olive oil producers wary of a new law that would tinker with the penalties for passing off counterfeit olive oil and its origin. (The New York Times) 500th Anniversary of ...

Published on Monday, February 29, 2016 by Kathy McCabe There's a new movie out for Italophiles... Sarah Jessica Parker and Under the Tuscan Sun actor Raoul Bova have joined up to star in a new romantic comedy set in Italy, All Roads Lead to Rome, about love and family. The movie, filmed in Rome and surrounding areas, follows uptight, New York City college writing teacher Maggie (Parker) and her unwilling, troubled teen...

Published on Friday, February 26, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Perillo Tours is the leader in escorted tours to Italy, but did you know that Perillo also plans custom Italy travel through its sister company ItalyVacations.com? Whether you want a romantic getaway in one of Italy's great cities - Venice, Rome, Florence - or a fully customized villa vacation for the whole family - grand kids too, with day trips and more. Anything y...

Published on Sunday, February 21, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Florence is one of those cities you must see at least once in your lifetime and then even once you have been there, you yearn to go back again and again. We love Florence so much that we are giving away a trip to the city of art in our Florence Facebook Sweepstakes. In the meantime, here are five, fun Florence facts that you might not know: 1. Be sure to stop by...

Published on Friday, February 19, 2016 by Kathy McCabe A proposal to limit the number of tourists in the Cinque Terre has caused a clamor among visitors who have booked upcoming trips and fear that they may not be allowed to visit, but they may not have to worry much longer. Our local sources in Liguria say the five towns that make up Cinque Terre National Park asked the government to restrict the number of tourist...