Published on Monday, April 18, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Ski jumper “Eddie the Eagle,” otherwise known as Michael “Eddie” Edwards, is from England (Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, to be exact)—but he got his start on skis in the Italian Alps. Edwards’ story has been delighting audiences in the U.S. recently as the Disney movie bearing his sporting moniker has debuted in theaters. Edwards’ struggles with fars...

Published on Sunday, April 10, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Very little is known about the ancient Etruscans, but thanks to an archaeological dig in Lazio, a bit more knowledge has been added to the historical record. A tomb believed to belong to an Etruscan princess from the 8th century BC has been unearthed and is filled with treasures that may have been her possessions. Vulci was once an important Etruscan city. Ironical...

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...

Published on Saturday, April 2, 2016 by Kathy McCabe The Basilica di Santa Maria Antiqua has had its light hidden under a bushel for quite some time—through no fault of its custodians. The “Sistine Chapel of the early Middle Ages,” as experts now refer to it, was buried in 847 AD by an earthquake, but has finally be restored. The sixth-century Santa Maria Antiqua fresco-laden interior, indicative of the late E...

Published on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Tuscany-based start-up Travel Appeal conducted a 2015 survey and analysis of 20 of Italy’s largest national museums—and number one museum in the country may surprise you. Using a complex algorithm that monitored visitor comments on sites including Facebook and TripAdvisor, Travel Appeal found that the museum with the highest number of positive comments was the Na...

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 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 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...