Published on Friday, September 18, 2015 by Kathy McCabe If you have millions of dollars burning a hole in your pocket – and a desire to snatch up a tony piece of Tuscan real estate burning a hole in your heart – Michelangelo’s Italian residence is calling your name. The property in Castellina in Chianti, which Michelangelo Buonarroti purchased in 1549, belonged to the artist’s family until 1867 and has since been c...

Published on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Famous for his frescoes and for his work on the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, 14th-century Florentine painter Giotto di Bondone was the most revered and revolutionary Italian painter of his time. He is considered one of the fathers of the Renaissance and the first traveling artist in Italy, and his heavyweight artistic influence sparked the beginning of the Renaissance a...

Published on Thursday, September 3, 2015 by Kathy McCabe One of the best ways to experience Italy vicariously is to check out what famous travelers find best there. This summer, quite a few chefs, designers and stars have offered lists of their preferred restaurants, watering holes, cities, and sights in bella Italia, and we’re rounding them up right here so you don’t have to do anything more strenuous than click. ...

Published on Monday, August 31, 2015 by Kathy McCabe On December 8th of this year, the Roman Catholic Church’s 29th Jubilee Year (only the 29th since the tradition was established 700 years ago) begins. A Jubilee, or Holy Year, is one in which devout members of the church make pilgrimages to Rome and the Holy See. The last one took place in 2000 and was declared by Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis has dedicated the ...

Published on Thursday, August 20, 2015 by Kathy McCabe At 136 acres, the grounds of the Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s private residence in Lazio, are larger than the entire Vatican City (108 acres). The land includes gardens, woodland, a working farm, beehives, a dairy, and even hay fields—but you don’t need to take our word for it. As of this this year, the public can tour these previously closed areas that are just ...

Published on Saturday, August 15, 2015 by Steve If you're ready to take your own tour of Italy, take my father's advice, "“Off season is the best season for Italy. It’s bargain time, shopping time and the weather is fine!” The weather in Italy in the winter is mild. The crowds are gone and you have the country to yourself. Plus the exchange rate is amazing right now. I'm thrilled to offer you a very specia...

Published on Monday, August 10, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Fifty years after its release, Federico Fellini’s iconic film La Dolce Vita will be remade by Andrea Iervolino’s AMBI Group. The Fellini family has approved this new film, which will be “a contemporary story every bit as commercial, iconic and award-worthy as the original,” said Iervolino. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimée, the 19...

Published on Friday, July 31, 2015 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: The Magic of Volterra:  Rick Steves says Tuscany's Volterra is Italy's most underrated hill town. (The Seattle Times) Honeymoon Through Italy:  One couple danced at midnight in Venice, motore...

Published on Sunday, July 26, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Dubbed “The Eighth Wonder of the World” due to its previously impossible views of the Alps, the Skyway Monte Bianco transports visitors above 7,000 feet. That’s not all: the rounded gondola cars also rotate 360 degrees, allowing people to see the breathtaking slopes on the Italian side of one of the world’s most famous peaks, called Mont Blanc across the borde...

Published on Thursday, July 23, 2015 by Steve I’m proud to present our 2016 all-inclusive vacations to Italy, Hawaii and Costa Rica! My team and I have spent the past year inspecting hotels, visiting restaurants, creating menus, calculating travel distances and trying-out activities. If you think that sounds like a great job - you’re right! But it’s not just a fun job for us. It also means your vacation wil...