Published on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Pompeii may well be the most famous archaeological site in Europe, but similar, lesser-known ruins abound throughout Italy. In Sardinia, the fascinating site of Mont’e Prama has revealed an ancient world about which little is known. Eight-feet-tall giants carved out of stone have been unearthed since 1974, when they were discovered by accident in a patch of farmland...

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 Monday, October 14, 2019 by Kathy McCabe The beauty of Rome is that the city’s vast collection of art and architecture means there’s always something different and unexpected to see beyond the usual tourist haunts. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler to Rome looking to discover new sites or a first-time visitor seeking to escape the crowds, on your next trip to Rome, visit these lesser-known archite...

Published on Thursday, October 10, 2019 by Kathy McCabe A fisherman from the tiny village of Talamone, Paolo Fanciulli, has installed an underwater museum to protect marine life and entertain divers. Twenty-nine Carrara marble sculptures in two locations off the Tuscan coast sit at the bottom of the sea, making up this unique art installation. On land nearby, 18 more sculptures sit in a field, waiting for Fanciulli to rais...

Published on Sunday, October 6, 2019 by Kathy McCabe On December 1, Venetians will vote on a referendum to split the historic city center from its residential suburbs. If approved by a majority of voters, the floating island center of Venice – where the tourist attractions are – will become a separate city from most of Mestre, the area encompassing Venice’s suburbs on the mainland. Proponents argue that dividin...

Published on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 by Kathy McCabe In the Tuscan town of Borgo a Mozzano, officials have installed a photoluminescent bicycle path to make riding and walking safer for residents. During the day, the path looks like a regular, brown gravel pavement, but at night, photoluminescent pieces of glass glow blue and green. The wide 200-meter-long (656 feet) path is expected to reduce bicycle accidents at ni...

Published on Monday, September 30, 2019 by Kathy McCabe After his friend’s murder at the hands of Neo-Nazis 11 years ago, street artist Cibo decided to take his art in a new direction: using art and creativity to erase hate. In his native region of Verona, Cibo – a pen name that means “food” in Italian – covers up offensive and hateful graffiti with cheery cartoon paintings of food. Cibo has been a street arti...

Published on Tuesday, September 24, 2019 by Kathy McCabe Molise, one of Italy’s lesser-known and rural regions, has been experiencing a population decline as residents increasingly move to urban areas. So Antonio Tedeschi, a regional councilor, had an idea: Entice people to move to Molise by paying them $27,000 to settle there and open a small business. "I want my region to undergo a renaissance and avoid its authe...

Published on Friday, September 20, 2019 by Kathy McCabe In 2020, Palazzo Pitti will highlight the link between Florentine nobility and the Russian Orthodox Church by displaying 78 Russian religious icons. The collection of icons, the largest outside of Russia, will be housed in four ground-floor rooms at Palazzo Pitti. This will be the first permanent home for the collection, which has been in Florence since 1761 and ha...

Published on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 by Kathy McCabe As a young, female Italian chef, Martina Caruso has racked up accolades – including a Michelin star – that have given her a platform to talk about being a woman in the restaurant industry. Caruso has the passion and experience to back up these accolades, and the tattoos to match: an octopus, garlic, oil, and hot pepper, her favorite ingredients to cook with. Ca...