Published on Monday, December 30, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Newly excavated thermal baths have opened to the public in Pompeii, allowing visitors to see the ruins of what was supposed to be a main attraction in the city. Construction began on the Pompeii Central Baths before the fateful Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D., but was never completed. The baths were being built to replace the city’s old bathhouse, whose rooms ...

Published on Friday, December 20, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Two Italian medical history museums – the Museo delle Arti Sanitarie in Naples (39-081-440647; Via Luciano Armanni 1; www.museoartisanitarie.it) and the Museo Storico Nazionale dell’Arte Sanitaria in Rome (39-06-6833262; Lungotevere in Sassia 4, Ospedale Santo Spirito) – are collaborating to enhance their respective collections and educate the public about Italy...

Published on Sunday, November 24, 2019 by Kathy McCabe To the delight of art lovers, Italy’s popular free museum Sundays are back. This popular program, which offers free entry on the first Sunday of the month for both Italian and foreign visitors at state-run museums around the country, was introduced in 2014 by Culture Minister Dario Franceschini. About 15 million visitors took advantage of the offering in total Ho...

Published on Monday, November 18, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The latest discovery in Pompeii is a well-preserved fresco depicting two gladiators after a fight, painted on the stairwell of a building. The scene depicts two gladiators of different types – a murmillo, who carries a larger shield, and a thraex, with a smaller shield. In the painting, the latter has lost the fight – and an arm – and holds his thumb up in reque...

Published on Friday, October 18, 2019 by Kathy McCabe On October 3, 1839, Italy’s first railway was inaugurated: a 7.25-kilometer (4.5-mile) line that ran from Naples to Portici. This year, to celebrate the 180th anniversary of the railway’s opening, you can ride a historic train for the length of the original railway. The Pietrarsa Express – the train that runs from Naples to the Pietrarsa National Railway Muse...

Published on Friday, August 30, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The historical site of Pompeii is a treasure trove of ruins, artefacts, -- and now, archaeologists have unearthed literal treasure. A trunk found in August contained semiprecious stones, jewelry, and other objects believed to bring good luck. "There are dozens of good luck charms next to other objects that were attributed with the power of crushing bad luck," Pompe...

Published on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Many tourists from the United States hear “Christmas market” and immediately think of Germany’s deservedly famous “Weinachtsmarkts” and “Kristkindlmarkts,” both of which conjure up the smell of Gluehwein and the sizzle of roast bratwurst. But Italy has its own legion of markets during the winter holidays, and like everything Italian, they’re focused mo...

Published on Sunday, October 14, 2018 by Kathy McCabe Archaeologists have unearthed another ancient tomb in the town of Cumae, a Greek settlement near Naples. The newly discovered tomb dates to the 2nd century BC and is decorated with murals, unlike most other Cumaean tombs at the time, which were simply painted red and white without images. ( The murals are believed to illustrate a banquet scene, as well as an image of ...

Published on Saturday, February 4, 2017 by Kathy McCabe Drawing inspiration from accommodations in Tokyo, Italy’s first capsule hotel opened in January in the Naples Capodichino Airport. Bed and Boarding, or “BenBo” for short, is open 24 hours every day and allows travelers to get nine hours of rest at night (11 p.m. to 8 a.m.) for 25€, or take a one-hour nap before a flight for 8€ (the second hour is 7€ and ...

Published on Friday, April 8, 2016 by Kathy McCabe For some time, “Naples Sotteranea,” or “Underground Naples,” has been a draw for travelers from around the world. The tunnels and caverns beneath the historic Italian city are built on a porous type of rock called “tufo,” the result of centuries of hardening of volcanic ash. (The photo to the right is of an old water tunnel underneath Naples.) While muc...